How to bomb your ministry (lessons from a failed leader)

“You have been foolish. You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you. It was at this time that the Lord would have permanently established your reign over Israel”  I Samuel 13:13

He bombed it.  He failed.  He had a chance and lost it.  He started strong but would be remembered as a loser and a mad man.  We’re talking King Saul, a failed leader who we must learn a lot from.

Saul was chosen by God, don’t forget that.  But it seemed from the very beginning he was reluctant to follow that call (hiding when it was time to be King).  Now, in a critical moment, he was reluctant to obey the rules that God set out before Him.  At first he wanted nothing to do with his calling and now he wanted to step outside of that calling and do it in his own way.  A recipe for disaster.

Saul had lead his men into combat.  They were outnumbered, overwhelmed, and discouraged.  Some were leaving, abandoning the military campaign that sought to protect their very own people, and Saul wanted to encourage his people by seeking God’s blessing.  One problem, the sacrifice was to be offered by the priest not by the King.

He waited seven days on the battle field for the priest to come.  People grew more discouraged and he made an executive call…

“Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings”

He stepped outside of his calling and broke the rules.  Seems harsh doesn’t it?  Wasn’t he trying to encourage his troops?  Wasn’t he seeking God’s favor?  How can you blame Saul?  There was no priest, the enemy was nearing him, and something had to be done.  Was it really that bad of a call?

Yes.  Disobedience is always disobedience.  God will not bless disobedience.

As soon as he offered up the sacrifice, Samuel came.  Did you catch that?  “Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived” (vs.10).  What if he just would have waited one more day?  A few more hours?  A few more minutes?  Would history had been different?

A bad mistake cost him a lot.  Samuel told him that his kingdom would not be established, and now God was looking to find a “man loyal to Him” a man after “God’s heart” (vs.14).

From this point on Saul is a big mess.  One bad decision leads to another.  He no longer has God’s blessing, He is no longer the victorious Saul, he’s just some crazy old politician who sadly commits suicide.

Samuel would later tell Saul “To obey is better than sacrifice” (15:22).  It was better then and it’s still better now.

What can we learn from Saul to help our ministries?

Don’t let discouragement dictate your decisions

Remember, when Saul made his bone head mistake, he was at a low.  Enemies were around him, his people complained, and some of his people were leaving.  Sounds a lot like church life doesn’t it?  You as the Pastor are surrounded by complainers, the world is evil, and people won’t step up to the plate to serve.  You are overwhelmed.

It’s at this point that you need to remember your calling.  Your success is not dependent upon how many people you lead to The Lord, how many people are in Sunday school or small groups, but your success is being faithful to the calling He has set before you.

Discouragement will do crazy things to you.  “no one appreciates me”,  “no one follows me”, “everyone is out to get me “.  This logic of thinking could lead you into abandoning the calling that God has laid in your heart.  It’s a mine field, and when you step into it, your ministry will be bombed.

Instead of writing that letter of resignation how about calling on God?  How about going to some trusted advisers, mentors, and seeking prayer?  There is no shame in seeking out a Christian counselor, Pastors are prime targets for anxiety and depression.  God still wants to use you, so don’t let this moment of discouragement disqualify you.

The world does not hinge on you

Saul believed that he had to offer the sacrifice because the Priest was not coming.  Knowing what we know about Saul, it’s logical to conclude that he just wanted to offer the sacrifice as a “good luck charm” to encourage his people; but it is possible that He did want God’s blessing for the battle.  No matter what the motives were, he still should not have done it.  It wasn’t his place.

We often bomb our ministries because we think we are solely responsible for everything.  As a church planter, I am constantly reminded that this church is not KENNY RAGER’s church.  It’s God’s church.  I have a calling to lead this congregation, and that means that I have to raise up leaders and raise up people to do certain jobs and tasks.  They may not do it the way I had envisioned, it may be very different, and sometimes it may be even better than I envisioned it!  But here’s the deal, if I planted KENNY RAGER’s church (with the look and feel that I wanted) it would be KENNY RAGER’s church and not God’s.  When we allow God to move through others, it takes on a unique flavor and feel that God intended to have it.

We Pastor’s need to realize that there are others that need to be developed.  People who have great ideas and can do great things.  We need to empty our hands and plates and believe that God can raise people up to do great things.  Let’s pray and be patient.  Let’s not be like Saul, who takes everything into our own hands.  Let’s wait for a Samuel to come.

Doing it all yourself is a disaster, it’s a bomb waiting to explode.

God is looking for someone after his heart

Probably the biggest take home from this is what Samuel told Saul after his disobedience.  God was looking for someone loyal to Him and someone who was after His own heart.  We know that this would be King David.

A study of David’s life reveals that David was far from perfect, a life that would involve blood shed, adultery, and family problems.  But David did care for the things of God, even though he was imperfect.  (Actually in one of David’s stories, he breaks the rules by eating bread that was reserved for the priest.  Yet he was not condemned and even Jesus used that to story to illustrate grace and law.  The difference between him and Saul?  David had a heart for the things of God).

Our ministries will bomb if our heart is not focused on The Lord.  What are you doing today to get  your heart back on God?  How is your personal worship?  When was the last time you studied the Bible (not for a sermon or a lesson to teach) but to grasp the power of God’s Word?  When was the last time you prayed to get God instead of getting something?

A heart check is critical for your ministry.  Make sure your focus and attention is on God instead of the battle that you are faced with today

Thankfully today, we have a Savior named Jesus who dwells in the hearts of those who call on Him.  Unlike Saul, we do not need a priest to come offer sacrifices, simply because the High Priest Jesus Christ, has already offered Himself.  But like Saul, we do not need to grow discouraged and make decisions that cost us everything.

I would encourage my fellow Pastors to keep their hearts on Christ.  That’s the key.  Don’t bomb your ministry by taking Jesus out of it.  Even though you may be discouraged, remember, God is on the way.  Just don’t give up.

 

 

The Church that wears a mask

You up for some juicy church gossip?  I heard about this church and I wanted to give you the inside scoop, so here we go.

This particular church is known throughout its denominational life, has excellent programs, big name speakers have stood in their pulpit, they even get shout outs from very well known figures in Christianity.  It’s influential, especially given their location.

The city they are located in is not the easiest place to conduct ministry.  Actually the city itself has experienced a couple of disasters; one was an earthquake that caused the city to suffer and go into an economic downfall and the other was a series of political struggles that resulted in some drastic change of policies for the city and it’s people. It’s a pretty liberal place they live in.   In addition to that; the city itself has some pretty crazy religious groups in it (particularly a bunch of hippies that worship the moon and stars and have a strange fascination with death, immortality, and sex).

It’s likely your clothes will get dirty if you live here.

In spite of this crazy environment, this particular church has held strong. You should know that they have been leaders to other churches and an inspiration to other Christians.  Their programs and particular Bible studies are now being reproduced and sold in Christian book stores for your church to use.  Their podcasts top the itunes charts, their staff is often invited to Christian leadership conferences to explain their methods,  their music is good….real good, the books they write sit on your shelf, and I even hear that they’re planning  multi-site.

Just one problem.  They’re a bunch of fakes.

It’s Halloween every Sunday.

To be fair, it’s not everyone in the church.  There are some genuine good people in their congregation.  They love the Lord and they didn’t fall into the same trap that their leaders did.  Of course, these people aren’t as well known, but they’re there and they will be the ones that God uses to bring about revival in this church.

Also, I think they had good intentions when they started.  They had a mission, a vision, a direction.  They loved Jesus.  Something just went wrong.  Was it a cultural influence?  Was it poor leadership?  I don’t know and I’m not for sure any church consultant could tell us.

So who is this church? Who are they?  What’s the name of it?

The Church at Sardis

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”  Revelation 3:1-3

One of the seven churches in the book of Revelation, Sardis serves as a warning to churches who look good on the outside but have lost their favor with God.

Let’s learn how not to be a Church that “LOOKS ALIVE” but is really “DEAD”

Wake up!

The church was told to “WAKE UP”!  Perhaps one of the greatest calls to live a passionate life for Christ are those words.  Have we grown sleepy in our Christian walk?  Have we forgotten the pain of sin and how serious of problems that it brings into a persons life?  Sadly, the Church has grown sleepy over the issues of the day that pains the heart of God.  We must wake up.

In addition to the issues of the sins of today, we must also not grow sleepy of the Spirit of God.  It seems that we have been blessed upon blessed with theological trainings, books, conferences, and more.  How we need open eyes and open ears for the Spirit of God.  We have so many meetings and more meetings and a few more, all that make us look really busy and really important.  But oh how we need a PRAYER meeting!  How we need to wait on the Spirit of God to touch our hearts from on high.  We need to wake up to the fact that God is real.

When the wake up comes we will be strengthened.  We will see what God has already given us and it will explode in our chests.  A weak faint heartbeat will burst forth into a powerful Spirit pulse!

Remember

Think back to what you heard about Jesus.  Think back to the basics of the Gospel itself.  Think back to those words that moved you so much; Jesus loves you.  The more I minister and the more I reach into people’s lives the more I remember that people need to hear those simple words.

Sardis was told to remember what they had received.  Can you imagine what would happen if we dwelt on that simple statement?  Forget trying to argue over complex theology, soteriolegy, eschatology, and whatever “ology” that gets you going.  Remember…Jesus loves you.

That love drove Christ to the Cross and out of the grave.  That love will mess you over.  It will do more for your church than you can imagine.  You’ll receive it, share it, and show it!

Repent

Make a decision.  Make a decision to turn from this dead lifeless religion into a passionate and real relationship.  A “repent” is a ” u-turn”.  You going one direction and now you turn.  When repenting from the Sardis church, one has to be willing to leave behind their “reputation” of appearing spiritual and embrace the fact they’re dead.  They have to acknowledge that sin is indeed present and it must be dealt with.

This is hard.  Because when we repent of something like this, it means we confess to wearing a clerical robe when we are secretly dressed for a rowdy night on the streets of Vegas.  It means we really aren’t as important as we think we are, but understanding that Jesus Christ is really really REALLY important.

Most of us are living in a Sardis culture anyways.  The cities are full of darkness and junk and right now we can’t help that.  But we don’t have to live in a Sardis Church.  If our churches repented of “that way” of “doing” church we might actually see the culture change.  We might see people get saved!

It just takes a few people who haven’t defiled their clothes to step up.  A few people that know dress up time is over.  A few people who refuse to wear the mask.  A few people that challenge their church to wake up, remember, and repent.

“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”  Revelation 3:4

When things aren’t so pleasant (overcoming bitterness)

They were hungry and they fled.  You blame them?  Hunger can make you do crazy things.  Go from eating pizza, McDonalds on the go, and junk food when you want it, to a strict and rigorous diet.  You can feel your stomach eating itself, you get desperate, you long for the Twinkies (just one…it won’t hurt).  Now imagine if you were living in a land of famine, no food anywhere…will you stay?  Probably not, you would leave too.

That’s exactly what a man named Elimelech and his family did.  They left the land of promise (which currently was a land of potluck poverty due to a famine) and headed towards the hills of Moab.  This Israelite family, equipped with Momma Naomi and her two sons now took refuge in the buffets of Moab.  They left their home country, the promise land,  and went to a foreign land (a land with no promise).

In this time the two boys married two Moabite women.  Things seemed happy, marriage and food, what more could one ask?  Maybe grandchildren?  Not today.  Things go from bad to worse.  Elimelech kicks the bucket, the two boys die, and now beautiful Naomi (whose name means “pleasant”) is in a foreign land with two daughter in laws of a different heritage, no grand children, and surrounded by death.  To top it off, word had spread that God was indeed faithful to his people Israel, the famine had stopped in Israel and food had returned.

Naomi, who had lost so much, decided to return to Israel (particularly Bethlehem her hometown).  She told the two daughters to stay in Moab, make a life for themselves, do what they had to do.  One took her up on that offer and the other refused.  Ruth vowed to stay with Naomi and even vowed to worship the Israelite God.  Ruth had become a believer and she would accompany Naomi back to Bethlehem.

When Naomi returns to Bethlehem she is greeted, but she turns that greeting into a chance for complaint.

 “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,^” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has pronounced judgment on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”  So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”  Ruth 1:20-22

Naomi was now suffering from bitterness.  From famine in the hometown, to death in a foreign town; she would not allow herself to be called ‘pleasant’.  She now went by the name “Mara”, which means bitterness.

Have you been in Naomi’s shoes?  Have you found yourself carrying around bitterness in your heart?  Beware of bitterness, it’s dangerous!

“Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many”  Hebrews 12:15

Bitterness can kill!  It robs us from seeing God’s provision and God’s grace in our lives.  Let’s make sure that no root of bitterness springs up in our lives.  Therefore…

Don’t be defined by your current situation

Naomi was responding to the circumstance she found herself in.  We can read the rest of the book of Ruth and understand that God was not done with this family, but Naomi couldn’t see it.  She did what most of us would do, she defined herself by what she was going through.  We too are tempted to define ourselves by what we go through.

The name “Mara” comes from Exodus 15:33-34.  The Israelites under Moses’ leadership was in the desert and thirsted.  The only water they could find was a a body of water named Marah, but the water was unsuitable to drink due it’s bitterness.

Naomi reflected upon that historical story and declared herself “Mara” just like the bitter water of the Israelites.  Naomi had apparently forgotten how that story turned out.  The people cried out to God, and the Lord showed them a tree.  Through an amazing miracle, they cut down the tree, threw it in the water, and the water was no longer bitter.

Your current situation will make you forget all about God’s faithfulness and God’s love in your life.  Be careful.  Don’t let your current situation rob your memory of God’s historical providence.

Don’t cast away your loved ones

Ruth made an amazing declaration to Naomi.  She would not leave Naomi and she would even worship Naomi’s God!  Wow!  Can you imagine the loyalty that Ruth had for her grief stricken mother in law?  Don’t forget, Ruth too had lost her husband, but Ruth chose to look to God in her despair and to care for Naomi. Naomi wasn’t impressed and Naomi didn’t want her to go back to Bethlehem with her.

The Bible tells us “When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.”  The Hebrew in verse 18 is literally  “She stopped talking to her”.

Has bitterness caused you to “stop talking to someone”?  Bitterness makes you want to do life by yourself, one problem, it doesn’t work that way.  God created us to be relational beings.  He Himself is Trinity, therefore His creation is to be relational and to care for others.  Don’t let bitterness tempt you into doing life alone.  You have God and you have others that God has placed in your life.  Make time for relationships.

You need your family, You need your church family, You need prayer,  You need fellowship.  You need others.  You need grace and you need to give grace.

Don’t forget about tomorrow

As we already mentioned, Naomi was defining herself by her current situation and did not expect what was going to happen in the future.  Ruth would marry Boaz, who would serve as the “Kinsman Redemeer”.  Glory and honor would be restored to Naomi.  She would be transformed from her “Mara” state back to a”Pleasant” spirit.

The waters for the Israelites were indeed bitter, but the tree made it good.  Naomi forgot that part of the story.  A tree made things better.

A family tree made the difference for Naomi.  Ruth married Boaz and hope was restored.  Ruth gave birth to Obed, who then had a son named Jesse, and then…well the rest is history isn’t it?  King David would be the great grandson of Ruth, and Naomi’s family tree would be secured with a blessing.

But the story still doesn’t end there.  Years later King David was promised that one of his descendant would never leave the throne, and He hasn’t.  Matter of fact, that descendant is seated at the right hand of God the Father, yes, that descendant is Jesus Christ!

A tree made a difference for the people of  thirsty Israel, a Family tree made the difference for Naomi, and an old rugged tree makes a difference for us.  The old rugged tree called the cross.

Jesus Christ died on the cross bearing our guilt and shame.  If we confess Christ and believe in Him we know that a better day is coming.  We no longer have to be defined by our situations or shut people out.  We have Christ in our hearts.  We do not need a Kinsman Redeemer, for we already have one, we have been redeemed by Christ.

I challenge you not to be consumed with bitterness but to turn to Christ.  Let Him bring healing into your life and give you a pleasant spirit.

By the way, Bethlehem means House of Bread. Naomi left it when she believed the bread was gone foor good.  But as a result of her return, King David would one day be born in Bethlehem. Christ Himself would be born there too.

Maybe a good rule of thumb is this; when you go through the hungers of hardship don’t leave the house of bread and then be surprised when you become bitter.  Instead go to the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, and believe He Has a future for you.

Overcoming Selfishness

I have a confession.  I am selfish and self-centered.  I know you must be recovering from shock and awe at that previous statement, but before you go to Facebook and begin shouting it form the mountain tops, here’s  another revelation:  so are you.

Human beings, sinful and depraved as we are, are naturally selfish.  From the very beginnings of our lives we cry for what we want, we cry because it’s not what we want, and we cry when it’s taken away.  I know my children do that, I know that I did that, I know that you did that, and I know we still do that.

I once heard a missionary tell me about a group of North Americans who came to their country to do short term missions.  The North Americans were surprised that some Native Christians still struggled with idol worship.  They simply could not believe that it would even be a temptation for those who are in Christ (though we are told the nation of Israel continued to struggle with that throughout their entire history).

But what was more shocking to me was the further revelation the missionary told me.  The people of his country “simply could not believe” that North American Christians would struggle with money and greed as much as we do( their Christian community was focused on helping the needs of others and sharing).  The Christian North Americans were shocked by the Christian Native’s temptation for idol worship while the Christian Natives were shocked by The Christian North American’s struggle with greed and money (and the quest for more!).

But both share a common theme:  Selfishness.  Superstition, good luck charms, stepping over someone else to get what you want, or hoarding your goods while someone is in need.  Selfishness .

Many Bible verses could be expounded upon to deal with this subject:  Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and don’t forget to love your neighbor.  Pick up the cross and follow Christ.  Pure religion doesn’t forget the orphans and the widows.  The list goes one.

But one passage is encouraging to me as I deal with the issue of selfishness.  Philippians 1:21-26

“²¹ For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²² Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. ²³ I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better— ²⁴ but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. ²⁵ Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.”

Paul, the great preacher and church planter, penned those words.  Here’s a little background about his circumstances during the writing:  He was under lock and key for preaching the Gospel.  More than likely he was chained to a Roman guard.  While imprisoned, some men (who were brothers in Christ but didn’t like Paul) took advantage of his absence and began to promote themselves as leaders.  On top of this, his concern for the churches he had planted and their spiritual health weighed on his soul.  That’s a lot to deal with.  That’s enough to make you give up.  That’s enough to make me give up.  Call it quits.  Throw in the towel.  Adios.  Swan song.

Paul himself was quick to tell us what he preferred in this situation…”dying is gain“.  Paul knew that Heaven was home, that’s what he longed for and he would rather be there than his current circumstance, do you blame him? Do you blame the saint who is suffering in sickness?  Do you blame the saint who has lost loved ones?  Do you blame the saint who struggles with depression?

Wouldn’t you rather be there too?  Streets of gold, mansions, heavenly choirs, saints of old, and the greatest jewel of all…Jesus Christ!  Heaven is better than now!

But don’t forget what Paul said before he coined the phrase “dying is gain“, he said “For me, living is Christ…”  Paul knew that while his human heart was beating he had a mission and that mission was to live out his salvation and to glorify Christ.

Instead of complaining about our circumstances let’s learn a lesson from Paul to confront our selfishness head on.

People need your witness

“…but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.”  Paul knew that even while he was in prison his witness continued.  Even today we have the Epistle to  the Philippians because Paul was alive to write it during his suffering.  God had not chosen to take Paul home yet.  If your heart is still beating today you have a purpose and reason to live.

Rick Warren has helped us identify those purposes in his book What on Earth am I Here For (formerly known as the Purpose Driven Life), the purpose of worship, the purpose of fellowship, the purpose of discipleship, and the purposes of ministry and evangelism.  Those last two are critical for this discussion.  People need your ministry and they need your outreach.  You are alive to tell other people about Jesus.  Don’t be selfish in this life, help people in the Name of Jesus and declare the way of salvation in Jesus, regardless of your circumstance.  You are alive today and in your circumstance to make Jesus known.

Your life is to be centered on Christ

“For to me, living is Christ…”  Paul understood that the chief goal of our lives is Jesus Christ.  Even when the other preachers were preaching “out of rivalry” (Philippians 1:17) Paul had the maturity to realize that Christ was still being preached “What does it matter? Just that in every way,  whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed”  Wow!  What a harsh word for pastors and preachers today.  What if that other church steps on your turf?  What if some member swaps a congregation?  What if you loose a beloved member and friend to the mission field?  Will we be selfish or will we understand that the goal of life is to glorify Christ?  How does this affect your daily living? How does it affect the way we spend our money? How does it affect our view of what neighborhood we live in and what social setting we find ourselves in? Is your goal to hoard, collect, store?   or is it to live for Christ?

Heaven is Home

Finally, don’t forget that “dying is gain“.  Sounds morbid doesn’t it?  Understand the truth behind it.  If we are followers of Jesus Christ we have already been blessed with so much; forgiveness of sin, fellowship with God, and an eternal dwelling place with God Almighty.  The riches of Heaven are waiting for those who have called on the name of The Lord for salvation.

Our reward is not on this earth.  That should  have a profound affect on how we live life.  If we are cheated, it’s OK, we have a better home.  If we loose our possessions in a fire, it’s OK, we have a better home.  If our house is smaller and more cramped than the  brother’s who sits across the aisle from me at Church is, it’s OK, we have a better home.  Imagine the impact of understanding that everything we have is temporal?   What would that do to our selfishness?  What would it do our understanding that  to “live is Christ”?

Can you imagine the greatness of Heaven?  The majestic of Heaven?  But even more than that can you imagine seeing and spending time with the King of Heaven?  The greatest reward will be to see Christ face to face and stand in His glory.  I can only imagine how silly the stuff on earth will appear when we stare in the Savior in the face.

Selfishness hurts people, hurts us, and distracts us from our true purpose in life (living for Christ).  To truly overcome selfishness our eyes must shift from ourselves to Christ.  Let’s make a decision to live to help people and proclaim the name of Jesus.  Let’s make a decision to center our life around Christ instead of stuff.  Let’s make a decision to remember that Heaven is home.

Let’s make a decision to trade our selfish and sinful life for the new life that Christ so graciously gives to us who believe, all because He graciously gave Himself on the cross.

 

 

 

Open Eyes

I love Elisha and the stories that surround his life.  Let’s look at another one.

“⁸ Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

⁹ The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” ¹⁰ So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

¹¹ This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

¹² “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³ “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

¹⁸ As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.”

If you are planning a military conquest against the people of God you may want to make sure they don’t have a prophet.  Israel had a prophet, his name was Elisha, and this prophet kept frustrating the plans of the King of Aram.

When the King had a military plan, Israel already knew.  When he wanted to drop a surprise attack, it was yesterdays news.  Spy satellites? None orbited.  Phone taps? No wires were strung.  A traitor in the Kings court?  Seemed likely but word was that a prophet was to blame.

Elisha, the man of God, knew the very words  The King of Aram spoke in his bedroom (military plans and pillow talk, God knows all). Elisha blabs too much.  “New Mission; put Israel on hold, kill the prophet.”

The campaign was ready.  Aram’s top navy seals.  Middle Eastern commandos.  A “strong force” with a precise plan. Locate the prophet, sneak in at night, surround the city, and annihilate Elisha.

They moved in under the cover of night.  No one would have known they were there if it wasn’t for an early rising ministerial assistant. A normal day, filled with chores and tasks, organizing the calendars and folding bulletins, sending emails about benevolence requests and making sure that there was enough food at the seniors potluck.  A normal day of being the assistant of The Prophet Elisha, a day that required him to wake up in the wee morning hours.  But  no coffee was needed that day.  The sight of Aram’s armies jolted him into action.  Impending doom was here.  Wake the prophet.

The response?   Not one of panic, not one of doubt, not one of fear.  The prophet simply said  “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”.  He was right.  Elisha prays; first that his servant would see the spiritual, and he did.  Flaming horses, fiery chariots, and they filled the hills.  The army of God, much bigger than the army of Aram, just hidden from the normal eyes.

Second, he prays that God will strike the army with blindness.  God does.  The men don’t know what hit him.  God saves the day.

You too have an enemy and he wants you taken out.  When you stand for Christ, he stands against you.  He hates Jesus and he hates his children.  You may have been unaware of his attacks previously, but now as a follower of Christ you rise early and you see his demonic army surrounding you.

Temptation…

Frustrations…

Persecutions…

Hardships…

He knows where to hit you…doesn’t he?

And you need to remember the words of Elisha  ” Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”   Another verse sounds familiar…

“ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”  I John 4:4

We are often blind to the fact that God is greater than the enemy.  We cannot forget this truth.  It’s time for you to open your eyes.

Open your eyes to what God’s word says

Even when God seems to be nowhere around, He’s there.  He doesn’t always manifest himself in fiery chariots for you to gaze upon, but he has given us His word to read.  Take time to study the promises of scripture.

Open your eyes from slumber

Don’t get lazy.  Don’t forget that the enemy is out there, he’s watching you.  It’s not time to take your guard down it’s time to put the armor of God on (Eph 6).  Be aware that there is a spiritual battle that is raging. Don’t stop praying, be disciplined in your prayer time, it keeps our spiritual eyes wide open.

Open your eyes to the cross

The promise has been made.  God is stronger.  God is bigger.  Christ has defeated the grave.  He wins, we win.  His death saved our life and His death defeated the enemy “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—”  Hebrews 2:14

What happens to the army?  They are struck with blindness and Elisha leads them to the King.  One day the enemy will be lead before our  King for his judgment, but no mercy will be shown to Him, only a lake of fire.

Take heart and be encouraged.  Open your eyes to the greatness of God!

 

Something’s Missing

 

The book of the Kings are a personal favorite.  The books highlights the history of of Israel through it’s leadership.  Many of these kings loved God but most rejected God (the foolishness of one King even lead to the nation being divided into a northern and southern kingdom). God was not absent while kings rose and fell, during this time he sent many prophets to declare the word of the Lord.   One of those prophets was a man named Elisha.

Elisha was the apprentice of the famous prophet Elijah.  After Elijah’s amazing exit from earth, in a chariot of fire, Elisha received a double portion of spirit and was ready to carry on the mantle.  Because of God’s spirit Elisha turned the nation of Israel upside down and helped promote the worship of the true God.

One of those amazing stories involves Elisha and a group of young guys he was teaching and training (and who were a little tired of sleeping on Elisha’s couch and feeling a little cramped in his apartment).  Check out 2 Kings 6:1-7

“The sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Please notice that the place where we live under your supervision is too small for us. ² Please let us go to the Jordan where we can each get a log and can build ourselves a place to live there.” “Go,” he said. ³ Then one said, “Please come with your servants.” “I’ll come,” he answered. ⁴ So he went with them, and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. ⁵ As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Oh, my master, it was borrowed!” ⁶ Then the man of God asked, “Where did it fall?”When he showed him the place, the man of God cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float. ⁷ Then he said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out and took it.”

So they did what they needed to do, they built a place of their own.  I relate with these guys, they are young, wanting to go out on their own, but they didn’t have any tools.  I’m not much of a handy man, never been, actually pretty lousy at repairing stuff, but at least I do have a tool box.  These guys on the other hand, they had to borrow an ax to cut the wood.

No capitol campaigns and no pledge drives only a group of young preachers with  bunch of trees to chop.  A listen to learn, be careful what you loan young preachers, they may just loose it, in this case, the ax head flies off and sinks to the bottom of a river.  Panic.  Disaster.  No money to buy a new one (they’re young preachers).  Work is over.  Plans have failed.  Call it a day or call a prophet?

They call a prophet.

After an investigation, a stick in the water, and the power of God, the ax head floats.  God saves the day (and also frees up some living room space for Elisha).

Today’s church is not lacking vision statements, not lacking resources, not lacking buildings, not lacking trainings, not lacking conventions, not lacking educational seminaries, and not lacking volumes of teachings and writings (not even lacking blogs?).  Potlucks, preachers, pod-casts, and a plethora of more, we got it.  But when only 15% of millennials are professing Christ (according to Thom Rainer’s book I am a Church Member) one has to wonder, is the job getting done?  Something’s missing.

Somehow in the work, somehow in the midst of much ministry, we lost an ax head.  We lost the cutting tool that makes it possible.  We have lost something  very precious, something that belongs to the family of God.  We run to text books, we run to programs, we run to the trendiest church fad, and we run dogma, but do we really know what’s missing?

We are missing prayer meetings

The early church knew how to pray.  They called upon the Name of The Lord.  They took Christ at His Word; ask and you shall receive.  There was power in those prayer meetings.  The Spirit chose to descend upon the Believers in a prayer meeting.  A free Peter, who was no longer locked up but now he knocked on the door of a prayer meeting.  We’re missing the ax head of prayer meetings.

We are missing passionate preaching

Leonard Ravenhill said “If the sermon doesn’t burn in you (preacher), it won’t burn in anybody else, that’s for sure!”  There’s a place for the lecture, there’s a place for a chronological study of the nation of Israel, there’s a place to debate deep doctrines, and even a place to sit in a circle and discuss the latest Christian book.  It’s just not the pulpit.  The people in the crowd on Sunday morning are hurting, needy, struggling.  They need the truth of Scripture and they need it not to be boring.  Preach with passion. Preach the word.  It’s alive and active.  Christ rose from the dead, Christ can save people, Christ is coming back, and that’s a reason to get excited! We are missing passionate preaching.

We are missing personal evangelism

Fish for men.  Find them in the field, find them at wal-mart, find them across the street, find them at work.  Just go fishing. When was the last time you shared Christ with someone?  The last time you told them that Christ can save them?  Have you ever lead someone to The Lord?  How long ago was that?  It’s not just the preachers job, but every believer who has trusted in Christ.  We must tell people about the good news of Jesus.  You must tell people about Jesus.  I must tell people about Jesus.  We are missing personal evangelism.

Something is missing and we need to take a cue from the preacher boys.  Go find The Prophet.  Not just any prophet, but The Prophet, The Priest, and The King.  Go find Jesus. He’s what’s missing in our churches, He’s what’s missing in our work. Jesus can do more than raise an ax head, He can raise the dead.

 

A Call for Passion on 9/11

Sometime ago I set out to create a new blog that would have more of a “direction” and “aim” than my previous blog attempts.  Instead of just posting ramblings, I wanted to create a blog that would encourage Christians to live for God with Passion and excitement, which I feel my previous blog attempts fell short of.  This new attempt at blogging is an attempt to capture my thoughts on revival, missions, and the overall need for a great awakening in our country.

I chose to select the title “Cold To Hot” because of a beloved passage from Revelation.  Chapter 3 includes a message from Christ to the Church at Laodicea.  Verses 15-16 were used by God to call me into the ministry many years ago.

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.”

That verse changed my life at the age of 13.  Upon hearing those words I decided that I did not want to live a casual Christianity, coldness and lukewarmness was not my desire, I wanted  to blaze for Christ.  That theme carried with me as I preached youth rallies, revival meetings, crusades, and even into the pulpit of the churches I pastored and the church I planted.  It is near and dear to my heart, as I feel that it’s a message that the church still needs today.

I chose to write my first post on this new blog on September 11th, 2014.  9/11 is an infamous day in our nations history.  Earlier this summer our church took a mission trip to New York City, where we had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 memorial.  The memorial itself (which is a massive but beautiful hole in the ground) demands reverence and respect for the fallen from that horrific day.

I was a freshmen in college sitting in an 8:00 composition class at Campbellsville University when the planes hit the tower.  Little to my knowledge, or the classes knowledge, were we aware that our nation was under attack.  My professor was an elderly adjunct professor who was a religious reader of newspapers.  Ironically he had told our class that he kept seeing the name “Osama Ben Laden” surfacing in readings, according ot him, it was a name to watch.  Little to his knowledge, and ours,  as he spoke the name of a radical muslim, it would be a name that would forever be remembered by all Americans.

We are more aware of radical Islamic groups than ever before.  Even today, 13 years later, the militant group ISIS is causing damage and destruction through their radical message of hate.  The threat of global terrorism from extremists is still here as our nation attempts to react to the current threats.  Truth to be told, until The Lord returns and sets up His Kingdom there will always be “wars and rumors of wars”.

Though much has been said about the need for radical Christianity, I wonder what would truly happen if we just applied our basic belief in Christ to our daily lives?  What if we were as zealous for the gospel and the proclamation of Christ as the militant muslims were?

I’m not talking about the wackos of Westboro, the Cooks of The Klan,  the cutthroats of crusades, or the preparers of the Kool-Aid death traps.  Those groups are cults, plain and simple.  They are not  representatives of Christ and His teaching.  They are  far from orthodoxy, far from the Bible, far from Christ, and far from the land of the sane.  They give Christ a black eye and paint Him into something that He is not.  They’re not radicals, they’re a bunch of crazies that need repentance.

A true transition from “Cold to Hot” would be a life that gave the Spirit control.  The move from “cold to hot” is a move that does not get stuck in dead traditionalism, rigged ritualism, or intellectual (and hardly) theological snobbery in elitist circles, all while they sit in isolation in the corner of their local star bucks in a constant state of complaining.  Instead it is a move to apply what they believe, to live out their faith, and to tell others about Jesus

What if we made the transition from cold to hot today?  What would it look like in your life?  What if we took our faith as serious as the extremists and radicals take theirs?

We would like the Hot better than the cold.

When Christ saves us, he saves us from our sins.  The blood of Jesus pumps life through our cold dead hearts.  We see life in a new way because we are new.  We understand the illusion of sin and it’s false grandeur.  We now see that sin hurts people and it hurts us.  A true transition from cold to hot no longer loves the things of the world because our love is for God.  Imagine the difference it would make if we rid our lives, our churches, and our homes of things that chill with the coldness of sin.  How would this affect our families? Our attitudes? Our very lives?  Could this be a remedy for depression?  A cure for anxiety?  Peace?

We would be very uncomfortable with the Fence

The problem with those folks in Reveltion 3 is a problem of fence riding.  Jesus said he wanted to “vomit” because of their actions.  One foot in the hot and one foot in the cold creates the perfect receipe for a spiritual stomach pump, and it should.  The believer has no time to put one foot here and another foot there, the world needs Jesus and it need us to lace up the gospel shoes and get moving, but instead we get stuck and immobilized on the fence of lukwarmness.

Have you considered that the reason why you have lost your effectiveness, your passion, and your joy? Perhaps you have blisters from sitting on the fence, they’re filled with infection but your too numb to notice?  It’s time to get uncomfortable with lukewarm casusal chrisitiantiy.

We would rejoice in the Heat

Believers that live in the heat of Christ begin to see the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit needs light to grow, it needs the sun light.  The radicals of islam see the fruit of death.  They kill, pillage, and break hearts.  Not so with the radicals of the Lord.  They spread love, joy, peace, and other fruit flavored goodness.  They stand for something that heals, something that restores, something that brings hope and purpose.  They stand for someone.  They stand for Christ.  Therefore they’re happy.

Christians would be much nicer if they quit  going to  war on blogosphere, facebook, and twitter and started cultivating their fruits.  Christians would smile more if they repented of sins.  Christians would be more pleasant if they weren’t so stuck up while their noses were stuck in books.  Christians would see churches grow if they shared the good news with their friends.  Christians would see revival if they prayed and sought God (skip a meal, fast a bit).  Read the Bible, Pray to God, love people, and preach the truth, and believe the Bible (by the way you can believe the Bible without being mad at everyone…really you can.)

The heat is a good thing.  It’s a great thing.  Because the heat radiates from the light of Christ.

Today I begin my new blog on the 13th anniversary of a horrific day.  Today I make a challenge to live your life like you really believe it.  I challenge you to make the transition from cold to hot.  We need some people that apply what they believe.