"Back That Thang Up!"

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

(Isaiah 43:19)

One of the hardest things to deal with in leadership is in organization stubbornly stuck in it's ways.

One of the things I fear the most is getting in a rut or doing something simply because "that's the way we've always done it."

Nobody really likes change, it's not easy, it not comfortable, and it will almost always face opposition.

That being said - the larger and the older your organization is the more difficult it is going to be to interject change.  It won't be impossible, but it sure won't be easy.

A rowboat only needs 8 ft for a u-turn...


An oil tanker takes 18 miles ...

"What about the roof?"

There are two things that I have to constanly remind myself:

1.  Faith is willing to do the unorthodox.

2.  Faith does not stay in a rut. 

The usual way to enter a house is through a door, never through the roof (excluding my time as a firefighter, when I often entered homes through holes cut in roofs.)  

But for the men in this story, that was the only way to get to Jesus, and so as unorthodox as it was, that is what they did.

¹ A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. ² They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. ³ Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. ⁴ Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:1-5)

A church that is stuck in a rut, or a church that sits around saying, "We’ve never done it that way before," or, "We tried it once & it didn’t work," will never succeed in its God-given tasks unless it dares to try something different once in a while. 

I've often wondered which one came up with the idea or if it was all of them.  I'm sure there was one guy who must have spoken up and said; "Wait! What about the roof?"


The example of these men teach us that faith will always continue trying, no matter what the obstalces or oppostitons are; no matter what the bi-laws or traditions are, and no matter what has always "been done in the past!"


What kind of faith do you have?  


The kind of faith that turns around when you see a crowded house and a blocked door?

or the kind of faith that sees a crowded house and an empty roof?

Amateurs built the ark - Professionals built the titanic!

I think too often people have amazing dreams and ideas, but never see them through because they feel inadequate or incapable.

I imagine there are employees sitting in cubicles that have ideas about how to turn the company around, but don't want to risk not being taken seriously or being made fun of.

I imagine there are church members who have passions and ideas for ministry and outreach, but don't feel like they are educated or experienced enough.

As leaders we have to be on the lookout for those people who have these ideas and visions and passion and encourage and develop them into the leaders that they have the potential to be.

Never be afraid to do something new!

Remember, amateurs built the ark; 

professionals built the titanic!

"Pack an umbrella!"

One of the biggest misconceptions new Christians have is that once they're saved, everything is perfect.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  In fact, often times life can become even more challenging as people and habits continue to pull at you from all angles in opposition to your new way of life!  After all scripture does say that the devil is like a roaring lion just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on you!

I have always loved the familiar Sunday School story about the wise and foolish builders found in Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

I think most of us are familiar with the story enough to understand the basic point Jesus was trying to make.  However, I think often times we can overlook the fact that, regardless...it's going to rain.  No matter how grounded your faith is, no matter how long you have been in a right relationship with Christ, it's still going to rain.

The thing that separates Christians and non-Christians is the way in which they hold up in the rain.  To a non-Christian a storm in their life can be devastating because they feel as though there is no hope or no way out, and wind the rains come down and the winds begin to blow, their foundations are rocked to the corps and often crumble to the ground.  But a Christian who is grounded on the word knows that no matter how big the storm or how heavy the rain gets, the God that calms the storm in scripture is the same God that is in control of their life today!  (Mark 4:35-41)

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
 ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
 ⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
 ⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”


So don't be misled, pack an umbrella...it will rain, sometimes it may even pour.  But be assured, the same God who said to the wind and the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" is the same God who can shelter you amidst any storm that may come your way!

"The Parable of The Lost Pug!"

Me and my wife have two daughters, one two and one 4 months old.  About 10 months ago we decided to get a puppy so that our oldest daughter would have a companion to grow up and play with.  Not long after we brought the puppy home we discovered my wife was pregnant with our second daughter and now we would have a puppy and a newborn - lucky us!  We named our black pug puppy "Scrabble."  Scrabble very quickly became a part of our family and my daughters best friend.

It was pretty funny watching them chase each other around the house and play keep away with each others toys.  Our daughter also started to blame everything on Scrabble.  "Riley what happened?"  "Scrabble did it!"

We had to go out of town for a few days and had some friends come over to take care of the dog while we were away.  The second day we were gone, we got a call that she had gotten away while she was out using the bathroom.  I immediately drove home to help try to locate her, but had no luck.  I called her name all day and all night, I drove around the whole city looking for her.  We had signs made up and spoke to all the neighbors.  We were in contact with the dog shelters and animal control...but had no luck.  Our daughter kept asking us where scrabble was and we kept stalling hoping for a miracle.

I had to go out of town on business a few days later and my wife was left with all searching duties.  She was unloading a few signs from the van at the house, and she called out again a few times before heading back into the house...then she heard a jingle.  She turned around and saw Scrabble running out of the woods behind our house, all covered in mud and scratched up, she had been missing for over 3 days.  My wife called me ecstatic and I was overcome with joy.  She was so much a part of our family already and our daughter loved her so much, I couldn't have imagined not finding her.

This great story of finding our lost puppy really made me think about a familiar passage in scripture.

Luke 15:1-7

 ¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  ³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

I wonder what kind of pain we put God in when we go astray?  I wonder if his heart aches at the thought of us being lost and away from him?  I can't imagine what the pain of losing a child must be like, and I wonder what kind of suffering Jesus endures when he is dealing with one of His children that are lost.

 I'm grateful we serve a God who never gives up on us, never keeps searching for us.  And who would leave the other ninety-nine, just to look for us.

Maybe today you might find yourself a little lost, perhaps this is the day for you to make your way back home! 

 

"A little bit of dirt in the right hands!"

I've been staring at my backyard a lot this winter, anticipating getting my garden going again, which I started last year for the first time.  It's a pretty incredible and religious experience to watch food literally come out of dirt!  Above are a couple shots of my garden from last year when it was looking like a lush tropical oasis!  It's pretty interesting however, to look at it now.  What only a few months ago was a thriving garden, is just a bunch of dirt in a box.  There is absolutely nothing lush or remotely tropical going on, just dirt.

The only thing that makes that 8x4 box of dirt more than a box of dirt is the seed, sun, water and time spent weeding and fertilizing.  Without it, either nothing grows, or whatever tries to grow withers away.

We are no different than a box of dirt.  God can take what seems to be lifeless, fruitless, and ordinary and turn it into a lush productive oasis.  There are so many references in scripture where God refers to himself as a gardener.  If we don't allow ourselves to be pruned by Him, we will no doubt wither away.  But if we allow ourselves to be watered and nurtured there is no limit to what we can become.

There were several days where I went out and notice a tomato plant or two had gotten too heavy to hold itself up, or had begun to lean to the side.  It wasn't the end of the world, it just simply needed a stake to hold into place and to guide it upwards.

There is a certain stigma attached to the word dirt "Girl, what happened?  Give me the DIRT!"  Or we talk about people having a dirty mouth, or a dirty mind.  Usually any phrase that has the word dirt in it is being used negatively.

But when I think about dirt, I think about potential.  Maybe I'm not there yet, but I can be, if I'm in the right hands.

I love the story in John 9 where Jesus heals a blind man:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.  His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”  But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”  “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.  He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

It's amazing to me to see what can happen in a life with a little bit of dirt in the right hands.

How To Prevent Burnout!

*Read this Scripture: Nehemiah 13:15-31

One of the biggest issues young leaders and pastors face is Burnout.  Just like any machine or appliance, if it is overused and abused, it burns out, stops working, falls apart - sound familiar?  One of my favorite passages of scripture is in Nehemiah, when Nehemiah takes on the project of rebuilding the crumbled walls of Israel.  And we know that in a supernatural display of God's power, the walls were rebuilt, despite opposition, in 52 days!

The idea of the Sabbath and a Day of Rest is often discussed, but not always completely observed - especially by Christian leaders / pastors etc.  There was a similar disregard for the command to obey and observe the Sabbath at the time of Nehemiah.  The people had become lax and accustomed to letting some of the regulations concerning the Sabbath slip.

I find myself falling into the same pattern.  Working so hard during the week - trying to do some of the work I was unable to get to on Saturday and then often times Sunday.  But when is my Sabbath?  Where is my day of rest?  Surely, this observance isn't meant to be observed by pastors / leaders?

The heart of the word "Sabbath" is "Rest."  The Sabbath was to be a time when man could rest.  Today's challenges are similar if not greater then those of the time of Nehemiah.  I am amazed when I listen to the struggles our Youth face in school and at home.  I am amazed at the struggles some of our congregation is facing concerning job security, finances and health issues.  People are carrying an unhealthy amount of stress around with them wherever they go.

The Sabbath is basically God's "Stress Management Program."  If we cannot pause from our busy lives, from the stress that would try to engulf us - we cannot survive and we will fall apart and we will fail.

A word often used in scripture that I can relate to is "weary."  Weary is defined as; exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness, having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted.

When we allow ourselves to work and work and work with no rest, we become weary to the point that we have no strength, patience or pleasure.

One of the misconceptions I think people have, especially leaders, is that they have to work themselves to death to feel like they are doing a good job - or to appear that way to others.  But the truth is; we can't always do everything, we can't always do everything exactly how we want it - we can't be perfect!

That's where I think the lesson is.  

One of my favorite versus is Matthew 11:28 -
 
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The Lord wants us to rely on his strength to see us through, not our own strength.  Jesus wants us to take time to spend with him and to allow him to refresh us and renew us.  If we don't - then we will never truly be rested and we rob ourselves of the strength, patience, and pleasure that can only be achieved from a relationship with Him.  Luke 4:18 -

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.

We cannot fulfill God's will for our lives if we allow ourselves to get Burnt-out.  It's only when we have the faith and the courage to rest in Him, despite what we feel we have not accomplished, that we can really change the world!

"World Hunger can wait, I'm out of Puppy Chow!"

Can we ever end "Homelessness?"  This is a question that is asked of me often, both in private and in public.  My answer is always the same, "No."

Deuteronomy 15:11a says;
¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land.

I think scripture is pretty clear that there will always be a percentage of people throughout the world that suffer from poverty, in whatever form.  So what can we do?

I was looking at some interesting statistics today and was slightly alarmed.  According to statistics taken from 2001; 76% of Americans consider themselves "Christian."  Then I researched some statistics on poverty, see below:

These statistics are alarming!  Not only do they tell a story about Americans, but since 76% of Americans consider themselves Christians, it speaks of us as well.  Basically according to my calculations, we as "Americans" spend more than half the amount of money needed to feed the entire world, on "Cosmetics?"

What's even more disturbing is that The United States and Europe combines spend more money on pet food, then it would take to give food to the entire world.

I think we have all seen statistics on how much waste and overspending we are guilty of as Americans.  Perhaps though when we consider how much we spend on luxury and cosmetic items such as makeup and perfume it will cause us to pause and think and perhaps re-evaluate our priorities.

If not the whole country, surely the 76% of it that claim to be Christian, could really have a huge impact on global poverty and hunger.

Deuteronomy 15:11a - clearly states that there will always be poor people in the Land, but don't leave out the second part of the verse:

¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. 

We cannot knowingly continue to live lives of luxury while ignoring those people we are commanded to help!

Think about that while you wait in the Dairy Queen Drive through, or at the cosmetic counter or as you carry the 20 pound bag of puppy chow into the house!

"The Cheaper Alternative"

I am continually amazed that God can use me despite myself.  In fact, I could probably fill an entire blog with a list of people more qualified than me to do what I do.  The wonderful thing about the way God works though, is that he doesn't go after what the world labels as "the best option" or "the most qualified."

Clay pots are referenced a lot in scripture, partly because they were so common as an every day used item at the time.  They were the cheaper alternatives for storing things.  Often times they would be cracked or broken and discarded because they were so cheap and easy to make - they were the plastic bottles of our time.  But time and time again, the Lord refers to us as "clay."  2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says;

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 

God has chosen us to be the everyday ordinary vessels to carry the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What the world might be inclined to discard or disregard, Christ fills with His light.  In doing so, through our weakness and mediocrity, his power is made perfect and He is glorified.

Under normal circumstances, any leader under tremendous stress and pressure might begin to crack, and in desperation be destroyed.  But with God's help, when we are doing His will, despite our imperfections - we can change the world!

"Look Busy - The Lord is Watching"

It's a natural phenomenon - that instantaneous reaction that occurs when a boss walks around the office observing employees at work.  Whether he is simply walking to a meeting, getting his morning coffee or surveying the troops - everyone perks up, hangs up the phone, minimizes facebook and solitaire and tries to look busy!

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Jeremiah the 1st chapter.  As a young pastor / leader / administrator, it resonates with me in a very personal way.

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew^[a] you,
   before you were born I set you apart;
   I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
 ⁶ “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
 ⁷ But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
 ⁹ Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Regardless of your age, your confidence or what you perceive yourself to be capable of, the Lord has called you and IS calling you.  Not only that, but he holds us responsible to the calling; if we are not fulfilling our calling he will begin to questions us via his "supervisor" aka the Holy Spirit.  We don't always feel up to the job, we don't always know the right "words to say," but the Lord literally will put his words in our mouths if only we will be faithful and obedient followers of his will for our lives.

And in verses 11-12 it says;

 ¹¹ The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
   “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
 ¹² The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching^[b] to see that my word is fulfilled.”

The Lord wants to ensure that his will is fulfilled.  As unlikely as it may seem to us at times, we are the chosen vessels by God to proclaim the Good News of the light of the Glory of God!

So perk up, and get to work - The Lord is watching!

Three P's to Building "Right"

In the 28^th and 29^th Chapter of 1 Chronicles, King David announces that he will not be in fact the one to build the temple, and announces his son, Solomon would do the work.  David gives Solomon a charge, encouraging him to acknowledge God, serve him with wholehearted devotion, and to be strong and finish the work.  David also give Solomon all of the plans and preparations.

And in verse 20 David tell Solomon about his “staff”

²⁰ David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished. ²¹ The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing person skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command.”

Many leaders have a great staff, and many of them will obey your every command.   There is more to “building a house” than having a capable leader with obedient staff.  There has to be a certain amount of Personal Investment.   Solomon in 1 Chronicles 29:3 lets his staff know that he is giving out of his personal resources to see the job completed.  After he announces his personal investment, his staff follow his lead by “willfully” giving of their own resources.  In verse 9 it says;

⁹ The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD.

Solomon also knew how to keep it in perspective and that in the end it was all God’s anyway

¹⁴ “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. ¹⁵ We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. ¹⁶ LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

If you want to be an effective leader, and build “right,” we must always have:

• Planning and Preparation
• Personal Investment
• Perspective

The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.

Stand Up, Stand Together!

It doesn't take a whole lot of researching to look back in history to times when people have stood together for something they believed in.  My mind immediately goes to Tunisia and Egypt where people have joined together to stand for what they think is right and against what they think is wrong.

In Daniel the 3rd chapter we have a story about a group of young Hebrew teenagers who decided to take Stand Up and Stand Together!  They were taken into captivity far from their homes, away from anything familiar and safe.  We all know the story, the king constructed a 90 foot statue and demanded all in the land to worship it, and the boys refuse.  In fact, they don't even cave in when they are brought before the king with an ultimatum.

 ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 

This made the king so angry he had the furnace turned up seven times the normal temperature.  And we remember from Sunday school that the guards were killed when they approached the flames and that everyone who looked in saw four men and not three.

What a powerful illustration still relevant today about the powerful things that can happen when people choose to Stand Up and Stand Together!