RELIGION VS. RELATIONSHIP

Have you ever had someone try to pull you into a debate using a fallacious presupposition that created a false dilemma? I have and I'm sure you have too (whether you realize it or not).

Let me give you an example. If someone asked me, "What's the best tasting pie in the world: Cherry or Apple?" ... I'd say, "Neither. I like blueberry."

The question creates a false dilemma, presupposing there are only two types of pie in the world (strawberry and apple) when in reality there are thousands.

These type of false dilemmas are presented daily in the church world.

Evidently, it's trendy to no longer be "religious", but "relational". Trust me, I understand the dangers of man made doctrines and the deification of church traditions and personal preferences. I do agree that a great deal of church going people have nothing more than an outward standard, a religious check-list, and almost no relationship with Jesus. Millions of people are slaves to a cold system of beliefs as opposed to being alive in Christ. It's true, if you don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus you have nothing more than religion.

A couple of years ago I watched a Youtube video a man named Jefferson Bethke uploaded. It was titled "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus". It is essentially a poem about why religion is bad and a relationship with Jesus is good. Jefferson makes some very candid and relevant points about the church world that I wholeheartedly agree with and preach about often. The official video has been viewed nearly 33 million times. Jefferson has told tens of millions of people that Religion and Relationship are contrary to one another and all the people said, "Amen!"

This wasn't a new idea (religion vs relationship), but his video seemed to solidify it in the minds of a lot of people, particularly Millennials. It seems that Jefferson has made it trendy for some people to attack that demon called Religion!

Although Jefferson's poem is creative and well written; and although he spits some powerful truths, there are a few major problems with Jefferson's video. 

(The inspiration for this blog post wasn't Jefferson Bethke's video, I'm just using it as an illustration.)

1. A FALSE NARRATIVE

First, it creates a false narrative. He proposes that all religion is bad when in fact the Bible clearly states that is not the case. Look at what James wrote:

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's RELIGION is vain.

27 Pure RELIGION and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

According to the Bible there is a pure and undefiled religion that is useful and valuable to us. Jefferson's video doesn't distinguish between true and false religion. He doesn't distinguish between pure and corrupt religion. He simply tells the world religion is bad. In doing so, he has set himself in opposition to the Word of God. By not specifying a relationship with Jesus is better than a false, corrupted religion, he has attacked James 1:26-27. Though it is true, you can't have pure and undefiled religion without a relationship with Christ, according to Jesus, a relationship with Him will lead you into it.  (Mt 25:41-46)

You cannot separate Jesus and pure religion.

2. IT'S A LIE! EVERYONE HAS RELIGION!

Any time I hear someone say they don't want, need, or have religion--they have a relationship--I nearly throw up. All they have to do is look the definition of the word up to see that's a shallow statement. Since you may not feel like looking the definition of "religion" up, I did it for you.

RELIGION: 1) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods; 2) a particular system of faith and worship.
 

Technically, when someone says they don't have religion they are saying they don't believe in or worship God, nor do they have a specific system of faith. Now, I know, practically speaking, most of the people that say they don't have religion actually do. They believe in God and have some system of faith. The reason this is confusing is they are trying to change the meaning of the word religion. But do not fear! No matter how grand their attempt the meaning of the word doesn't change. It's like the old man of God said, "Words mean something, dummy!" 
 

So religion is an intellectual system of belief. To have religion simply means you believe something. You could even be an atheist and tell me you don't believe in anything, but not believing in anything is actually a doctrine, therefore a religion.

Do you believe in the virgin birth? Do you believe that Jesus became a man and walked among men? Do you believe He died on the cross? Do you believe He was buried? Do you believe He was resurrected? In the Theological world those are subjects covered in the doctrine of Christ's Incarnation. The Incarnation is part of the systematic study of Christology which would be under the umbrella of Theology-all parts of a system of faith, aka ... religion.

Do you believe, through faith in Jesus (His death, burial, and resurrection), we can saved? That's the doctrine of Soteriology which is a part of a system of faith, aka ... religion. 

When someone says they are Christians, they're saying their religion is Christianity because that's what Christianity is ... a religion. It just happens that true Christianity is true religion because Christ is at the center of it.

SIDE NOTE: If you're one of those people that say you don't have "doctrine", everything I'm saying applies to you, too. You have doctrine whether you admit it or not. In fact, saying you don't have doctrine is actually part of your doctrine. SMH

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3. IT'S NOT RELIGION'S FAULT ... IT'S OUR FAULT!

Whose fault is it that the Catholic church killed 50 million people during the inquisition? Whose fault is it that people are ostracized and destroyed every day by church going people? Whose fault is it when a priest or pastor abuses a parishioner? Whose fault is it when church leaders fall to immorality?

Is it the Bible's fault? Is it Jesus' fault? Bible readers know that Jesus promoted holiness of life. He promoted kindness and love toward our enemies. No. It isn't the Bible or Jesus' fault.

Was it religion's fault? That's an interesting question. I suppose we could blame religion, but remember, religion is a system of doctrines. Where did we get that system of doctrine? Religion isn't some invisible, abstract force that creates itself. No. Doctrine has a source ... men. The question is: WHERE DID MEN GET THEIR DOCTRINE? 

For the true Christian, the answer to that question is ... God. God spoke to men and men wrote down what He said. Other men gathered those manuscripts and compiled them into what we know as the "Bible". True Christians, being led by the Spirit of God, motivated by the love of Jesus, will have pure doctrine. PURE DOCTRINE PRODUCES PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION. Contrarily, when men lead themselves, motivated by self-love, they will produce corrupt religion. 

SUMMARY

Instead of attacking "religion", attack false, self-centered religion. You should strive to have pure, undefiled, Christ-centered religion, and speak positively about it.

You are religious and have religion whether you admit it or not. Saying you don't have religion is actually part of your religion (your systematic approach to faith). 

How about we stop allowing Christian fads and trends affect our beliefs and conversations and just rely on the Scripture. 

There is no battle between RELIGION AND RELATIONSHIP. There is only a war between FALSE RELIGION AND TRUE RELIGION. 

Pure and undefiled religion requires us to have an intimate relationship with Christ. An intimate relationship with Christ will create a pure and undefiled religion.   

Peace. Love. Hope.

 

DOES CHURCH MATTER ANY MORE?

It can be difficult for a pastor to write about certain subjects because of the intimate nature of their ministry. Revival Tabernacle isn’t a mega-church, but we have enough people that regardless of what I write about, someone in our church might be guilty of it and potentially take it personally. Another thing I’ve noticed is when a minister writes, whether it be on a blog or just a Facebook post, people automatically assume they are venting. So instead of having deep, spiritual conversations with the readers, the comment section is filled with well meaning people’s words of encouragement. What is meant to be insightful becomes a mere pity party.

I’m writing today because I’m concerned–and I’m not just concerned about Revival Tabernacle. I’m concerned about the American church that my children are growing up in.

I've been reading statistics on church attendance. Some studies show that a mere 13%-20% of Americans attend a weekly church service now. That’s so scary. We’re about two generations away from being a totally apostate country. This statistic tells us several very important things. First, the church isn’t evangelizing the world; they aren’t telling unconverted sinners about Jesus. Secondly, parents aren’t passing their faith onto their children in a convincing manner. Christianity is a casual thing for them and their children aren’t interested in it. Parents that go to church two or three times a month are raising children that won't go at all.

The bottom-line is the church is not reproducing and anything that doesn’t reproduce will go extinct. God help the good ol’ U.S. of A.

WE’VE HAD A LOT OF SICKNESS LATELY

 

This particular article isn’t directed toward the unconverted sinner. It concerns people that profess to be saved–people that even admit church attendance is important–yet aren’t faithful to their church. Pastors all across the country are telling me their church’s attendance is at an all time low. People that once attended are coming less and less.

We pastors can be such hypocrites. People ask us how many people we have coming and we stretch that number way out there. Pastors will claim five hundred members, but when you visit their church there’s about fifty people actually in attendance.

“Hey, doc. I thought you had five hundred?”

    “Well, we’ve got a lot of people out sick today.”

“Four hundred and fifty?”

We pastors are very inventive when it comes to finding a “valid” reason why our two hundred member churches only have thirty people in the pews.

    In the SUMMER it's due to the Summer Slump.
    In the FALL it's due to people working more.
    In the WINTER it's due to people being sick.
    In the SPRING it's due to people working more.

MANY CHURCHES ARE DEAD!

I hope you know I’m not trying to brow beat anyone. I want to be as fair as I can. There are a lot of people that aren't going to church because the church isn't meeting their spiritual needs. When that’s legitimately the case, the church is at fault. Pastors, this is something we must consider. I know on those days when I walk into the pulpit and see half the church not in attendance, my first thought is toward myself, not the people. I wonder if it's my fault. Is my preaching so powerless and shallow the people have no interest in it? Can they not grow under my leadership? What do I need to do to become better equipped? Should I resign and allow someone else to take my place? That's where my mind goes first. I try to always self-evaluate. I know I need to go deeper. I know I need to continue developing myself so I can effectively feed the flock of God He has set me over. 

So the church may be at fault. The leadership may be at fault. When that’s the case, we must fix it. And if you're attending a church that you don't want to go to, find another church. It's that simple.
 

The thing is–whether I am a novice preacher or not–some of the men that are telling me their church’s attendance is abysmal are phenomenal preachers. I know them and I know their congregations. The people could learn a great deal from their leadership if they’d just show up, but they won’t. And I know what some of you are thinking. “He might be a good preacher, but is he living right?” Yes! The men I’m referring to are godly, God fearing men–not charlatans. These are godly pastors that are great preachers. They aren’t to blame for their congregation not being faithful.  

SHOULD WE CANCEL OUR MID-WEEK SERVICE, TOO?

I used to mock churches that canceled their mid-week and Sunday night services. I DON'T NOW. Whether I agree or not, I understand why they are doing it. The church is there to serve the people, to teach, and to lead them into a deeper walk with Jesus. The mid-week service (Bible study, Small group, etc) is made available to promote discipleship. It is meant to promote spiritual health to the members. But if the people aren’t interested in coming to it, what can the leader do? They want to spend time with their families, too. Many of them work two jobs and are tired, too. Why should a chef spend hours preparing a meal that no one wants to eat? Ministers often feel like they’re wasting their time. (Pastor, if that's you ... refocus. You don't work for people. There will be those that will never reciprocate your sacrifice, but Jesus has already done more for you than you'll ever do for Him. You work for Jesus and that's an honor regardless of how hard it is.)

Christmas Eve will fall on a Sunday this year and we will most likely cancel service. WHAAAT? Tell me about it. I can remember when I thought it was blasphemy to cancel church on Christmas or Christmas Eve. I would say churches that did so were going straight to hell. My thinking was pure and very simple. We don’t cancel church on Easter, so why would we cancel church on Christmas? Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, so why would we not celebrate it at church? That makes sense, right?

I guess I’m getting soft in my old age because canceling one Sunday service a year on Christmas or Christmas Eve doesn’t bother me like it used to. First of all, I highly doubt any truly born again Christian is going to backslide after missing just one service. Secondly, practically speaking, Christmas is a very family oriented holiday. People are traveling, dinners are prepared, gifts are given and received, and people spend time with loved ones they may not see all year long. Just because we cancel a Sunday church service doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Christmas. Our family always gathers in the living room on Christmas day to read and discuss the Christmas story. We sing carols, we share what we’re thankful for, and then we pray, thanking God for the birth of Jesus. We have church at the house on Christmas day regardless of what day it falls on.

The third reason I don’t have an issue with pastors canceling service on Christmas is there are typically only a handful of people that are going to attend that service anyway. And out of that handful of people, the vast majority of them would like to be sitting around the fire place in their PJ’s, drinking coffee, listening to Christmas music, and enjoying family time like everyone else. Most of the time, they only come because they are super committed or simply don’t have anywhere else to go.

TO CHURCH OR NOT TO CHURCH? THAT’S THE QUESTION.

So, ministerially, I find myself in a complex dilemma. I’m stuck in a straight betwixt two very real issues. On one hand, I feel compelled to tell people that church attendance doesn’t save them–Jesus does. That message is typically reserved for those with legalistic leanings who think going to heaven is nothing more than adhering to a rigid religious regimen–a check list of do(s) and don’t(s). 

On the other hand, I know belonging to a church and serving with the saints in a local assembly is absolutely and indescribably imperative to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Biblically, I know God’s plan for the evangelization of the world and discipleship is attached to the local church (Eph 4:11-13). Therefore when people are unfaithful to God’s house and refuse to participate in the church’s ministries souls go to hell. And when souls go to hell because we failed to do our part, God will hold us responsible (Eze 3:18-19). I also know, practically speaking, people’s attitudes toward church attendance is a direct reflection of their spirituality. Almost without exception, when God’s house isn’t a priority, prayer, the Bible, discipleship, soul winning, and the souls of their children are not important to them either. 

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Brothers and sisters ... I am concerned. I’m watching more and more people put church and church attendance way down on the priority list. People that used to be on fire in Christ; people that were soul winners; people that were engaged in the church are now pre-occupied with a thousand other things. I’m watching people that one time believed taking their children to church and teaching them to serve the Lord was the greatest thing they could do for them are now taking their children to county fairs and ball games on church nights.

They seem to think their absence is only affecting them, but that's not true. How many ministries are hindered because of people's unfaithfulness? You can't have a successful children's ministry when people won't volunteer and be faithful to it. You can't get any momentum going when there's a hundred in church this Sunday and half the church lays out the next Sunday. It devastates the leaders, discouraging them to the bone. It effects the atmosphere. It hurts the finances. It's effecting eternity whether they admit it or not.

If I had a Benny for every time I heard an excuse for why someone isn’t coming to church on a particular church service, I’d be richer than Richie. These excuses seem to make sense to those rendering them, but they’re really nothing more than admission of their spiritual anemia.

Explain to me why it makes sense for someone to be too tired to go to an hour and half church service (7:00-8:30) one night a week, yet they’re never too tired to get up at 5:00 o’clock in the morning and go to work! Am I to believe they aren’t tired on Monday morning? Are they not tired at 5:00 o’clock on Friday morning? Of course they are. But do you think they call in to work every time they wake up and don’t feel like going in? Absolutely not! Why is this? It’s simple. Their job is a greater priority than God's house. They feel like they need money more than they need preaching, teaching, discipleship, and fellowship. They believe their children need Iphones and Play Stations more than religious training. Church is an option-their job is not. When you aren't too tired to work forty hours a week, but can't muster up the strength to attend an hour and a half church service during the week, there's a deeper problem.

Here’s another thing! It doesn’t take a genius to see America is a crumbling cesspool of moral debauchery. Any sane person can see it, but why aren't people drawing closer to God? I would think when a parent sees how strongly the world is pulling at their children’s souls they would try to put them into a spiritual atmosphere. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

THE REAL REASON

We can pretend and make up a million excuses, but the truth is pretty evident. People aren’t coming because they’re not interested in coming. Church isn't important to them anymore. It isn't a priority. There is nothing there that appeals to them. For many, church is an inconvenience. They only go when they don't have something else more important to do. 

 
The Bible told us this day would come.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first ...

Mt 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith ...

Lu 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

There it is. It's a sign of the last days. People are falling out of love with Jesus. They are backsliding. They are getting caught up in the world and cares of life. I may sound legalistic, but I’m not trying to be. Even a blind man can see America is going to hell. And as long as there is no spiritual force countering Satan’s attack, tomorrow will be worse than today. In forty years there will be only a handful of churches left. In forty years, Islam will be the predominant religion in America.

The question is will you make the necessary changes to ensure you perpetuate Christianity in your world? You can start by allowing Jesus to take over your home. Then get up and go to church faithfully, rededicating yourself to Christ and His service. 

CHRIST IN THE LOCAL CHURCH IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR AMERICA! DON'T SEND YOUR CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN ON A TRAJECTORY TO HELL. LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT MUST START IN OUR HOMES!

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMM

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMM: Evidently, a major Christian denomination has just reversed their tough stance on alcohol consumption after the convention threatened to introduce an obesity resolution. Their point was the number one killer of Americans is heart disease (not alcohol consumption) and the primary cause for heart disease is an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and being overweight. So in summary, the number one killer of Americans is the abuse of food.

If were honest, whether we agree or not, this should cause us to take a closer look at this subject. The Scripture says:

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

I've heard a lot of sermons preached on tobacco and alcohol, but none on overeating and being overweight. We don't really have to wonder why. Most of us preachers (and those on the pews) are guilty. I'm wondering if we don't have a little hypocrisy to deal with here. I know I'm feeling convicted.

Hey, just some food for thought. I found it an interesting read.

 
Peace. Love. Hope.

See you at the gym.

TOO AFRAID TO FIGHT

I read a very thought provoking story in the thirteenth chapter of Exodus, today. (Ex 13:17-22)

God had delivered Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, whom they had been enslaved by for four hundred years.

The Scripture says there was a shorter and more direct path from Egypt to the promised land than what they took (through the wilderness and Red Sea), yet God didn’t direct them down the shorter more direct path. He knew it would require them to go to war with the Philistines. The bottom-line was Israel would have rather went back to Egyptian bondage than fight.

God is merciful, so He took them through the wilderness and then parted the Red Sea for them. They finally got down to the Jordan River where they could actually see into Canaan, the land of promise. Canaan was an incredibly fertile land. In fact, it was described as a land that flowed with milk and honey. When they realized inhabiting the promised land was going to require them to fight giants, they went back, choosing forty years of wandering in the desert instead. They would rather walk around in circles, never inheriting God’s promises, dying horrible deaths in the desert, than go to war.

There is a great falling away in America. People’s love for God and His kingdom are eroding. He has delivered them from sin (Egypt). He has led them around the land of the Philistines, making their paths smoother, because He knows they’ll immediately go back if they have to fight. He has parted Red Seas for them (working miracles on their behalf). He has brought them down to the Jordan River, allowed them to see the glory, love, joy, peace, and goodness of Jesus. He has offered them a fruitful and fertile land–a victorious Christian life–but they have chosen to go back to bondage. They have chosen to take their children back into death as opposed to showing them what faith and God’s glory looks like. They would rather drag their children through a desert than give them revival.

Here’s what I want to say:

TO THOSE THAT ARE GOING BACK ... STOP. It’s idiotic. You’re going to die out there. Your children will almost certainly die out there, too, and it will be your fault. 

TO THE CHILDREN OF FEARFUL PARENTS: God has a plan for you. In this story, although all the parents died in the desert, their children survived and eventually went to war, defeating the giants! God fought for them just like He would have their parents. God gave them the promise despite their parent's failure. 

You can love God even if your parents don’t. You can be powerful even if your parents aren't. You can live for Jesus if no one else around you will. You can fight giants because you belong to the giant killer.

TO JOSHUA AND CALEB: The only two adults that God allowed to survive the wilderness was Joshua and Caleb. They wanted to go fight the Canaanites, but they couldn't do it by themselves. They ended up having to go back into the wilderness with all the fearful and ungrateful people. God honored their faith and courage though.  He didn't forget them. They also inherited the Promised Land!

To all the leaders that are getting discouraged with people that keep going back ... THIS IS WAR! God has a plan and a people that will bring that plan to fruition. You may not conquer Canaan with the people you thought you would. It may end up being the little children running around in your church that destroy the giants of your city. An aged D. L. Moody said if he could start his ministry over, he’d minister exclusively to children. Don’t underestimate God and His plan. Stay faithful. Your time is coming.

Let us be willing to go to war. Whether we live or die is inconsequential. I want more life in my years than I do years in my life. Being in His will is everything. Experiencing His favor is everything. We must fight the good fight of faith for our children’s sake, for Christ’s sake. If we don’t ... Christianity will fade away in America.

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

MOST OF IT WAS IN MY HEAD

MOST OF IT WAS IN MY HEAD: Years ago, I'd go to camp meetings and sit at the farthest table in the fellowship hall, isolated, trying to not talk to anyone. I felt so out of place. I just knew they didn't like me. I knew they were judging me. I did that for a couple of years. It was kind of sad. I will spare you all the details, but I finally understood it wasn't the people around me ... it was me. THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ME! Here's the funny thing ... The people around me thought I didn't like them. The victim mentality I was carrying around with me could be felt and seen by every one else. LET ME REPEAT: I thought they didn't like me and they thought I didn't like them. I decided to shake hands and show myself friendly like the Bible says (Pr 18:24). I sat down at their tables and introduced myself. I found out most of the scandalous, secret conversations I thought people were having about me were in my head. I had been programmed to expect them to not like me, so that's what I heard in my mind.

This has happened to me many times. I remember one time, 22 years ago, I was in the pulpit playing the electric guitar. All of the sudden, my guitar lost power. I looked over and saw that it was unplugged from the wall. I absolutely knew the man on the front row had unplugged it and that his grandmother, five pews back, told him to do it. I was furious. I decided I'd never play the guitar again. I sat there for a long time, very angry. Thankfully, I had a moment of sanity and asked the guy point blank if he did it. Of course he hadn't which meant his poor old grandmother didn't tell him too either. LOL. I was the victim of cheap outlets and gravity.

I will throw this out there as a disclaimer ... there have always been some people that didn't like me. There have always been people that talked about me. I actually had a guy turn the volume down on my guitar amp right in the middle of a church service. There have been churches that didn't want me. There have been people that couldn't stand me. Those experiences were the exceptions, not the rule.

But ...

I've learned that bitter people have a tendency to wear bitter shaded glasses. Angry people wear angry shaded glasses. Depressed people wear depressed shaded glasses. And people with victim mentalities often wear victim shaded glasses that cause them to think everyone is against them, trying to kill them. They run deep into a cave of despair and then accuse every one of forsaking them. If you're running from me (or a church), don't look over your shoulder and blame me for the distance that's between us.

Maybe we need to change our attitudes. Maybe we need to show ourselves friendly. Maybe it's true ... our ATTITUDE determines our ALTITUDE. Maybe it's true ... our IN-LOOK determines our OUT-LOOK.

Anyways ... this is me just trying to share a life changing lesson I learned the hard way.

Peace. Love. Hope.

A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

  A BURNT OUT MINISTER IS IRRELEVANT

 

I've been reading staggering statistics about clergy burnout. Statistics revealing how depression, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are incredibly high among ministers. Did you know the life expectancy of a minister is much lower than the average person? 1,500 preachers leave the ministry every month. Why? I know what some will say, "They're hirelings. They don't pray. They don't love God. Etc." I'm sure that's true way too often, but that's not always the case. And those that readily say such things usually aren't pastors.

We are living in a different world than the men of old. Did you ever consider the fact that John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Finney, Jonathan Edwards, General Booth, A. B. Simpson, etc, didn't have access to phones, planes, cars, internet, Facebook, email or text messaging? If the congregation got a hold of them it was on Sunday or via horse and buggy. And if your preacher was a circuit rider ... you DIDN'T get a hold of him.

 

They didn't have to compete with cell phones, ipads, ipods, television, radio, internet or Hollywood. People weren't gospel hardened and entertained to death. People didn't expect the preacher to cater to their every whim because they knew they COULDN'T cater to their every whim. Now, compare that with the hundred phone calls, text messages, emails, and literally thousands of Facebook messages I receive per week! I'm not unique, any pastor worth their salt has a similar story. Today's pastor is on call 24/7! The expectation level is insane. People want them to be at all places at all times having the answers to every dilemma. The minister (and whole family) never fully meet the requirements demanded of them because they haven't yet figured out how to be God! John Wesley attributed his long life to taking naps as often as he needed. If today's minister takes a nap someone rings the door bell and accuses them of being lazy and sleeping all day. (Been there and done that!)

But concerning the men and women of old ... they had revival and we (for the most part) do not. They spent most of their time praying, reading, and preaching. Their greatest stress came from wrestling with God, not men. 

 

They understood that the church belonged to God, not them. They understood that counseling can never take the place of the unadulterated preached Word. They understood that the hard-hearted and stubborn laity sitting in the pews were lost and in need of conversion and not to be reckoned as church bosses.

The answer? You need to remember that you're a Christian before you're a pastor! Let's spend more time in prayer and the Word, talking to God about men; and less time on Facebook, answering text messages and counseling people to do what we've told them a hundred times from the pulpit.

If you're tired, sleep. If you're on the verge of burning out, shut your phone off, take a few days off, spend time with God and your family. Learn how to say "NO"! If you're overweight and your health is breaking down ... man up! Get some discipline. Eat right and exercise! It'll pay off in the long run.

Don't let your wife suffer because you're ministering to another man's wife and don't have time for her. Don't lose your kids trying to save other people's kids. If you burn out you will wreck yourself and then be irrelevant anyway. You have no business overseeing spiritual business if you can't overseer your own personal business! (1Ti 3:5)

Don't allow anyone to push you beyond your capacity. And ... remember it all belongs to God. He's the husbandman. Let the divine stay up all night. Let the omnipresent be every where at all times. Let Him be responsible for HIS church. You? Just do what you can. You ask what the people will think? The true Christians will understand and be merciful. The hypocrites? Who cares? 

Let go and let God!
Peace, love, hope!

8 LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM GIDEON

 

8 LEADERSHIP LESSONS LEARNED FROM GIDEON

 Yesterday, I read the eighth chapter of Judges during my daily devotions. I was inspired with how strong of a leader Gideon was. I want to quickly share the major points that stuck out to me.
           
1. GREAT LEADERS KEEP LEADING (JUDGES 8:4-8)

Gideon and his men were weary from pursuing their enemies, yet the Scripture states they continued their pursuit. He would not give up just because leading wasn’t convenient.

Leading can be a grind; it can snatch the life right out of you. We often find ourselves weary, but we cannot stop pursuing. This doesn’t mean there aren’t times we need a vacation, but strong leaders keep pursuing long after they feel fatigued. They don’t quit when the going gets tough. Great leaders keep leading.

2. GREAT LEADERS ADDRESS OPPOSITION DECISIVELY (JUDGES 8:16)

Gideon wasn’t afraid of or ignore opposition. He dealt with internal (his son) and external (his enemies) problems quickly and decisively.

If I’ve learned anything over the past 20 years it’s that most problems don’t go away just because you ignore them. Sidestepping contentions only allows them to pile up, creating a synergistic effect that makes conflict resolution exponentially more difficult. Deal with stuff right, but deal with it immediately. Great leaders deal with opposition decisively.

3. GREAT LEADERS INVEST IN THEIR FAMILY (JUDGES 8:19-20)

Gideon was invested in his family. He took time to teach his sons. He took the treatment of his family seriously. Great pastoral leaders are invested in their families.

I don’t want to sound cold or accusatory, but most people are fickle. Church members will cut you off in a second. You can be the big kahuna today and the scum of the earth tomorrow. You’ll spend weeks, months, even years, pouring into some people who tell you they love you, only to find them walking out, turning on you, and that without warning. Invest in your spouse and children. They love you unconditionally and will be there long after the people have left. Not to mention your family is your first ministerial priority anyways. The Bible teaches us if we can’t lead our own houses we have no business leading others (1Ti 3:5). 

4. GREAT LEADERS EQUIP OTHERS (JUDGES 8:20)

Gideon delegated and trained those that fought with him. He gave his fellow laborers an opportunity to win. He gave them the opportunity to participate in their victories.

Delegation is one of the hardest things to do, but it must be done. And ... it must be done right. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. I’ve spent much time asking people to do things that they did not know how to do. When people don’t have the necessary knowledge to fulfill the task you’ve asked them to do, they become frustrated and quit. After several experiences of delegating jobs to people, only to watch them quit or do them half-heartedly, the knee-jerk reaction is to just do it yourself. This invariably leads to burnout. Do yourself a favor and train the people you’re delegating responsibilities to. It may take weeks, even months, but it will be worth your time. You will be able to cover far more ground with TEAMS working together as opposed to you working alone. And don’t forget to allow everyone to share in the victories and successes. No man is an island. You didn’t get where you are by yourself, unless of course you’ve swam out to an island.

5. LEADERS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE KINGDOM OF GOD, NOT THEIR EMPIRE (JUDGES 8:23)

Gideon was successful. He led his men to many great victories. God’s favor was with him mightily, therefore, the people responded by asking him to rule over them; to be their king. Gideon said, “No. God will lead us.” Gideon was humble. Gideon knew who had truly given them the victory. Gideon was a man of God. This point is what prompted me to write this article. My heart was filled with the utmost admiration for Gideon. He didn’t even hesitate to point his men toward God. 

There are far too many dictatorial pastors in our churches. They pastor “their” church; “their” people; and operate “their” ministries. They want glory. Everything they do must be seen of men or they feel like they’re a failure. Listen, we work for God. We use His provisions. We breathe His air. His life keeps our heart pumping blood through our veins. Give God the glory for everything. Stop trying to lord over God’s heritage (1Pe 5:3). I see this over and over with pastors who think everyone has to come to "their" church. Real pastoral leadership isn’t about building your own kingdom, it’s about building the kingdom of God. If your labors cause someone to yield to Christ, yet that person attends another church, so what!? God rules. The Church is His and it's much larger than our littler congregations.

6. GREAT LEADERS MESS UP (JUDGES 8:24-27)
Gideon messed up big time! Even after all of the great things he did-even after pointing to people to God-he caused them to err in their faith. He asked them to give him their golden earrings which ended up yielding about 71 pounds worth. By today’s prices, that’s approximately $1.2 million dollars worth. He took the 71 pounds of gold and made it into an ephod (a sleeveless garment worn by Jewish priests) and a breastplate. You talk about bling bling–a 71 pound golden garment! The ephod was so amazing the people of God started worshiping it. Wow!

Don’t get me wrong, Gideon didn’t mean for this to happen. He would have never made it had he known what they would do, but he didn’t discern the heart of the people and made a terrible judgment call.

You and me are going to have lapses in judgment resulting in mistakes. You might as well get ready, it’s just part of leadership. But be humble. You have to learn to repent, apologize, and then move on! Do better the next time. Don’t allow your failures to paralyze you.

8. LEADERS ARE A BLESSING TO THOSE AROUND THEM (JUDGES 8:28)

God’s favor on Gideon was a blessing to the Israelites. Despite Gideon’s lack of discernment and Israel’s idolatry, God honored Gideon’s faith and humility. He gave Israel 40 years of peace.

Stay holy. Stay humble. You may stumble here and there, but God isn’t fickle. He knows your intents and motives. If you’ll stay faithful to God and His kingdom, the blessings of the Lord will overtake you and those blessings will overflow, saturating everyone around you.

I hope these 8 lessons help you!

God bless,
Pastor Lamb

RECALCULATING

RECALCULATING

 

Have you ever missed your turn and had your GPS unit inform you that it's recalculating? Me, too, both while driving and in life!

For the most part, technology is awesome! Where would we be without it? On the other hand, I have lost a few things because of it. Do any of you know more than five phone numbers by heart? Nope? Me either. I have three phone numbers memorized: mine, my wife's, and the church's. I used to know a hundred, but it isn't necessary for me to memorize numbers any more because I have them all logged into my smart phone under the person's name.

I also have no idea how to get any where outside of Madison County. PRAISE GOD FOR GOOGLE MAPS! I follow my GPS. I don't pay any attention to landmarks or road signs. I follow the GPS! Without it, I'm pretty much lost regardless of where I am. That's terrible ... I know.

One of the beautiful things about a GPS unit (or google maps) is it won't allow you to go 127 miles past your destination. Have you ever got caught up listening to music, talking on the phone, or simply zoned out and drove 20 miles past your turn? Yep, me too! I love (and sometimes hate) the fact that when I overshoot an exit, the GPS unit is extremely stubborn. "Recalculating! Take the next left. Take the next left. Make a u-turn in 200 feet. Recalculating. Take the next left."

I know everyone of us have missed a turn here and there. We set out to achieve certain things, to accomplish certain goals, but we zoned out and overshot our exit. We feel as if we're useless or have lost so much time that we can't get caught up; we can't make it there on time. Although we've missed many turns, God is merciful! He'll RECALCULATE our route.

Many of you feel as if you've dropped the ball with your spouses and children ... maybe you have, but God's not finished with you! Perhaps you've wasted money and time on drugs and alcohol, hurt your family and friends. You've overshot your turn by 100 miles. If you can stop for just a second, you will hear the voice of God saying, "I'm recalculating the best route for you to get to where I intended you to go. RECALCULATING!"

Brothers and sisters, God is recalculating our journey! You may not have been obedient in the past. You may not have paid attention in the past. You may have even intentionally took wrongs turns, going in the opposite direction that God wanted you to, but His mercy endures forever!

The Apostle Paul said:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
 

Only in Christ can we truly start over. Only through Jesus' mercy can we still make our way toward the mark that God has set for us. If you will choose obedience RIGHT NOW, you can forget the many wrong turns of the past. It may take you a little while to get there, but you can know that every turn you make, every mile you travel, is taking you to the will of God!

Be encouraged! God is RECALCULATING your journey!

Peace, Love, Hope,
David Lamb

Something Has Changed (My Magnus Opus)

I recently turned 35 years old! Usually, I just move right through my birthdays without much thought, but this one was different than all of the rest. For some reason there was an unusual realization of time. I know I'm not old, but I suddenly understood that I am getting older; that I've lived a lot of life, witnessed and experienced a lot of pain, and cried and laughed and loved and gained and lost a great deal for one man. I noticed the pain in my back and wrinkles on my face haven't gone away. I was startled by the thought that 20 year old young men and women look at me like a father. I gasped at the fact that 35 is half of 70 and that my uncles and aunts are in their 70's and my grandmother died in her 70's and that was 25 years ago. I realized that I don't want my children to grow up anymore; that I want them to stay just like they are. I was shaken by the thought that I want time to stop.

But I also realized there's a good chance that I may have another 35 years; that I may have another 35 years to love and live and heal and cry and forgive and help and hope and give and strengthen and build and pray and preach and listen and care.

I realized that there are 5 people (my wife and 4 children) that I'm not expendable to. I realized that my babies are going to grow up and be my best friends tomorrow, so I better cultivate that friendship now, making sure they are indeed my best friends tomorrow. I realized that I actually have some friends that are good and faithful more than they are bad and unfaithful. I realized that I have some people that I can call at midnight. I realized that when they act stupid and forget me, they are important enough to remind them to not forget me anymore. I realized that I have been bad and unfaithful at times. I realized that I have forgotten them sometimes. I realized I had better pick the phone up at midnight when they call.

I realized a smile goes a long way. I realized that I haven't been laughing enough and laughing is fun. I found that I am at my wisest when I'm just listening and shaking my head up and down and saying "uh huh".

I realized people are fallible, very important, but fallible. I realized people are going to lie to me, ignore my wife and I, talk about us, use us, think they're better than us, forget us, and a million other things that fallible people do. And, to my surprise, I realized I didn't mind that as much as I used to; that I've come to expect it and can always forgive them and act like I don't recall all of the bad things they've done to us when they come back around and bless us. And I realized that I want them to come back around ... if they want to. And if they don't want to come back around, I can hope they are happy. I realized they are hurting, too, and that I can choose to heal, even if they do not.

I realized that the pure in heart see God; that all things are working for me and not against me. I realized that God has used every person in my life (family, friend and foe) to make me a better Christian, husband, father, friend, and preacher. I realized pride and selfishness are two of the most deadly things in the world because they build walls and shut life out.

I realized that, that although He wants my best, God knows I'm human and doesn't expect me to be anything but human; that He doesn't expect greatness out of me; He wants me to die, so He can be great through me. I realized that through Christ I can be truly free, liberated from this world.

I also was overcome by the thought that my days are few and that I must make the most of them. So, since I'm blessed enough to have a hand full of people that actually care enough about me to read this little note, I promise you, I am going to love, live, and bless more the second half of my life than I did the first.

(To be continued...)

David Lamb