John is the author of the gospel named after him, and who also wrote I John, II John, III John and the Revelation.  Out of all the authors of the New Testament, John paints a prophetic picture of an epic battle between light and darkness. 

Our worldview, or how we look at this ‘present age,’ is important.

     At the end of John’s first epistle, he makes a little statement that we seem to treat like it does not apply to our modern age.  John told his spiritual children to keep themselves from idols (I John 5:21).

     Throughout their history, the children of Israel had a problem with idolatry.  However, we don’t see the same type of idolatry during the days of Christ as we saw throughout Israel’s history.  Israel had a history of mixing their faith with the false gods of Baal, making sacrifices on the high places.  This was not the problem during the time of Christ. 

What was the main rebuke that Jesus gave to the religious leaders of his day?

Israel of Jesus’ day was idolatrous because it had worshipped tradition in place of God and His living Word…Israel had substituted reverence for human tradition in the place of love for God.  It was for this reason that Jesus told the people that ‘they had ears but they could not hear and eyes but they could not see’.  

What happened?  When we worship something we become like the object that we behold. Israel during the days of Christ worshipped the traditions of men.  It was for this reason when the ‘Living Word’ walked among them they could not hear nor see the kingdom unless they repented and turned away from their idols.  The power is not in the idol, but the demonic powers, which draw people to the false worship of idolatry blinding the minds of the worshippers.  Idolatry not only blinds the eyes, but hardens the heart.  Jeff Carson who is the worship leader at Lifebridge Christian Center says that,  ”you can know religion and not know love but you cannot know God and not know love!”  True worship opens both hearts and minds through the love of God breaking the power of idolatry.

     An idol is something that keeps us from walking in the fullness of being the worshipful priest our Father is seeking.  In my next few posts, I am going to deal with the main idols of Western culture, which are materialism, relativism and pluralism. 

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     The cry of the heart in many parts of the church today is that we want to experience Jesus and not just read some old storybook. We want the dynamic, life-giving Christ who cast out demons and used His words to cut to the heart of the matter.  We want to see the church as a living organism and not a religious organization. 

What happened during the Protestant Reformation that caused such dramatic change in the way people worshiped, which actually changed society itself? 

     A stirring among the people was happening before Martin Luther nailed his ‘Ninety Five Theses’ up.  He was nothing but a spark on dry kindling which was ready to burst into flames.  It was the fullness of times for that age or period of history. 

     Martin Luther was simply a prophetic voice discerning the times in which he was living.  He saw the corruption and idolatry, but he was by no means alone.  The masses could not define it, but they were experiencing it. Martin Luther put voice to what people were experiencing.  Have you ever felt like something was wrong, but you could not put words to it?  Then you heard a word, which defined what you were feeling which brought understanding?  Martin Luther did just that for the masses.

     One author has clearly articulated that every 500 years God has a rummage sale.  We are going through such a time in our day.  The last one happened during the 1500’s, which we called the Protestant Reformation.  Since the early 1900’s the church has been going through a ‘great transitional cycle’, which a few authors have defined as ‘Restoration Theology’.   

 Greg Ogden in his book “Unfinished Business” says:

 “Nearly five hundred years after the Reformation, there are rumblings in the church that appear to be creating a climate for something so powerful that we can call it a New Reformation.  The New Reformation seeks nothing less than the radical transformation of the self-perception of all believers so that we see ourselves as vital channels through whom God mediates His life to other members of the body of Christ and to the world.”

 

     We can look at the history of the church to see that anytime there is a stirring and the Spirit is rearranging or realigning things; it can get messy.  Look at the patterns of scripture and you will see when God was bringing monumental change, it usually came in a whirlwind of judgment and restoration.  You say, ‘I want a move of the Spirit’, but I will pass on the things that challenge my thinking and traditions. Yes we all have them!  Traditions are just established norms, and we all have our traditions, which may not necessarily be bad unless they keep us from serving Christ with all of our hearts.  It is wise to remember Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-11) was to take six stone water jars used for ceremonial washing and make good wine.  Jesus is still in the business of transformation!  He can take rigid ritualistic systems and give them new life.

     I am making an appeal in this post to openness.  It is an appeal to flexibility, which worship demands if we are too do it in spirit and truth.  Worship is not bound to any particular tradition or church structure, but when we give ourselves to Him we are going to see restoration of hearts, lives and structures by which we operate.

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     Jesus made an interesting series of statements in Matthew chapter 7:13-23. In this section of scripture, He is specifically dealing with the true verses the false.  He then boils it down to something very simple in verse 23 by saying, “I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  That is pretty heavy if you sit back and think about it for a moment. We could spend our days working for God and doing things without ever having an intimate relationship with Him. What I am attempting to do for you in this post is to help you be grounded in intimate fellowship first with our Father then with one another, since it is the only pathway to true kingdom development.

 Intimacy is the key by which we attain advancement in the kingdom of God. You may advance in this world in a number of ways, but it is not the foundation of the kingdom. True lasting purpose is established in intimacy and advancement comes out of that foundational relationship.

     It is through the gospel of John that we glimpse into the heart of the Father found in the ministry of Christ.  John uses many word pictures to describe the intimate relationship that our Father wants us to have with Him. We are pictured as sheep that intimately know His voice (John 10:27).

The gospel of John gives us a visible picture of the intimacy Christ had with His disciples, calling them His friends (John 15:15).

     They ate together, served together, laughed together, prayed together, and worshipped together. John himself reclined his head upon Christ’s chest at one point during the Last Supper (John 13:23).

     In John chapter 14, we see the role of the Spirit in teaching, guiding, empowering and living in us. In John chapter 15, we then see the correlation between obedient abiding in Him and the power of spiritual growth produced by that life.  It is expansion by abiding.  It is then in John chapter 17 that we see the highest order of intimacy and that is oneness. 

     Have you ever been around a couple that have been married for many years and have actually worked at covenant relationship?  If you have then you have witnessed their oneness. 

A couple of this maturity will display the oneness that cannot be accomplished any other way but through long-term intimacy. 

      In the same way, we are to be intertwined with the nature of Christ so that we are not working for Him but simply manifesting the nature within us.  Our lives simply become an overflow of our relationship with Him.  If we build on any other foundation one day we will find ourselves working for something other than the kingdom of God.  Our primary purpose must be intimacy and everything else is simply the overflow of divine love. 

Practicing lawlessness is a result of pursuing purpose without intimacy.

      It is trying to fulfill our calling in our own way and using our gifts with selfish-ambition.  We are doing the work, but we have forgotten the Lord over the work.  Desiring to succeed is an ambition we should have; however, it is not for ambition’s sake alone, but it is to accomplish the will of the Father. When the focus of our lives is to be in intimate relationship with our Father, we will find our motives and desires coming into alignment with His will.  Simple obedience will be our hearts desire.  Intimacy will allow you to:

▪   Align to the purpose of God.

▪   Keep your motives pure.

▪   Work for the right reasons.

▪   Have the proper type of ambition and motivation. 

The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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      It is the time of year when we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of the one who resides over life and death, Christ our Savior.  One of the great foundational truths of the church is from I Timothy 3:6 bound up in the simple statement ‘God manifested in the flesh’.  It is from this scripture that we derive the doctrine of the incarnation therefore since it is bound up in the very DNA of what constitutes the church, it is important to focus upon this simple yet profound truth.  

If we get it wrong at the level of DNA then all that follows will be altered from the original design. 

     We are called to be a people of mission and that mission is to be lived out in the context of an incarnational people.  The mission of the apostolic church is not just leading people to Christ, but actually Christ being formed in people.  The reality of life is that suffering is a very central part of life and part of the process of Christ fully living in us.  C.S. Lewis wrote that to,  

“Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free-wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself” 

     The very mystery of the incarnation is that God actually identified with our pain, suffering and frailties.  He became one with us so that He could help us.  It is the central message of this season that He is our present help in every time of need.  

He has put His Spirit within our hearts to strengthen us in our frailties, sufferings and pain especially when we feel like giving up. 

We are going to face pain and it is the Spirit of God that has come to be with us and aid us through every dark hour (Romans 8:26). 

Are you listening during this season? C.S. Lewis again said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”  Jesus identified with us and took our pain at the cross and though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death we don’t have to fear.  He feels your pain and in the midst of every situation you can be assured that He is near. 

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You only have 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and 365 days per year.  You cannot create time, but you can either waste your time or take advantage of your time.  Time is your most valuable resource so you must not let the time get away from you.  Aristotle Onassis, a wealthy businessman, once said, “I have learned the value and importance of time; therefore, I work two additional hours each day and in that way I gain the equivalent of one additional month each year.”

 The secret to time management is learning how to use your time wisely.  Solomon told us to take a look at the ant:

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy fellow.  Learn from their ways and be wise!  For though they have no king to make them work, yet they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.  But you – all you do is sleep.  When will you wake up?  ‘Let me sleep a little longer!’ Sure, just a little more! And as you sleep, poverty creeps upon you like a robber and destroys you; want attacks you in full armor (Proverbs 6:6-11, LB).

 We must be aware of time thieves that try to steal our time. 

     Your time thief may be television, sports, the Internet or just a lack of organization.  Wasting time does not just happen, but it is something that we actively allow to happen.  A habit develops over time and usually becomes an unconscious act. It is important that we address these bad habits that have been stealing our time and develop healthy habits, which will help us, as Paul said, buy back time (Eph. 5:15).   

It does not matter if you are a homemaker, minister, student or businessman; you must to learn to manage your time. 

The struggle most of us have with time is keeping a schedule.  I want to emphasize the importance of prioritization.  Putting first things first is the key to effective time management; that way, we are doing what we are supposed to be doing instead of just keeping a schedule.  Robots can be programmed to keep a schedule, but they cannot fulfill the purpose of God. 

Jesus is our pattern and He had one purpose, which was to fulfill the will of the Father.  We must organize our time in such a way that it enables us to more fully walk out the purpose of God in our lives.

     I tend to be more of a big picture person, so I don’t really like making lists and schedules.  To accomplish our purpose, we need to define our goals and priorities, as we can waste a lot of time not knowing where we are going.  Lists and checklists help to solve these problems. “Making purposeful lists and checklists is an ‘art’, a skill to be developed and perfected.  If used properly, this skill has the ability to radically impact the efficiency of almost anyone.  Like any other ‘art’, there are basics to be learned that apply to almost everyone, but after that you must develop your own style.” 

The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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Jesus talked a lot about money, and the majority of times, it was in the context of discipleship. He also used it in reference to ministry support, taxes and miracles. To neglect a basic understanding of money is to refuse to listen to the words of Christ.  Any endeavor you undertake in this life, from raising a family to running a business or ministry, requires a basic understanding of economics.

     I am not talking about being a math whiz but knowing enough to manage, at a minimum, your household budget.  Credit card companies will give an 18-year-old a credit card even though that same person mostly likely will not understand the different impact between a 5% or 18% interest rate.

To neglect a basic understanding of how our economic system works is a lack of wisdom. 

     I find it amazing that we teach kids how to do algebra, but many times, these same kids can’t balance their bank accounts.  For example, I once worked with an engineer who had a Master’s Degree in Engineering, but his motorcycles were being repossessed due to mismanagement of his personal finances. 

Stewardship is a basic discipleship principle. 

     Jesus went so far as to say that if you don’t know how to take care of money, you wouldn’t know how to take care of the spiritual principles of the kingdom of God.

     In 16 years of marriage, we have had to deal with two episodes of debt.  We took care of the first episode within a few years, but due to bad decisions, we wound up right back in the same hole.  You may not have even made bad decisions but just got caught in an economic storm and been laid off.  We can’t despair, but we do need to get out a shovel and start digging, meaning we need to be consistently wise with money that comes into our hands.  It took my wife and me nearly four years to dig out of the last bout with debt, but we are now free.  You can find many resources to help you.  One good resource is Dave Ramsey (daveramsey.com), who has made getting out of debt cool.

As I previously said, not everyone has to be an economic whiz, but it would be wise to learn how to handle money or have someone involved with your life that knows how to handle money.  

     If you run a small business and don’t know how to keep your books, spend the extra money to have a bookkeeper.  As I have discussed, my wife is a whiz with numbers and enjoys doing budgets. Since she is the one with the gift and motivation, she performs the task with the grace of God.

The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon. 

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I don’t think I can overemphasize the importance of communication. We all need to learn to communicate better and we must continually work on honing both verbal and written communication skills.  Let’s look at this on the micro scale of the family.  

Paul uses the family as a prototype of learning how to lead.  He sets this standard:  If we cannot lead our families, we should not be given responsibility to lead in any other context, since we will simply reproduce the same results (I Tim. 3:5). 

      I have seen that communication problems can normally be traced back to the family.  A breakdown in communication results in divorce, as well as many unhealthy patterns in the lives of children and then we wonder why we have so many problems with school and workplace violence.

Communication is a key to effective leadership in any endeavor you undertake.  It is important to work on your verbal and written communication skills.  If you do this, it will not only help you professionally but will be of personal benefit to both you and your family.  

     How we communicate reveals much about who we are and our maturity level.  The better we are at conveying our message clearly, passionately and with loving care, the more success we will have.

Jesus was a good communicator. 

     He always understood the audience to whom He was speaking. To communicate effectively, you must develop your message for the audience you are addressing.  Jesus spoke to the 5,000, 70, 12 and 3. He had a message for each situation.  You must understand your audience.   Great communicators don’t tell people what they want to hear but what they need to hear by crafting their message in such a way to help people improve their lives.

It is a proven statistic that the greatest fear people have is a fear of public speaking. 

Leaders must learn to develop the skill of public speaking.  Fear and self-consciousness will keep us from fulfilling the will of God.  It is important that we yield ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit who will help us do all that we are called to do.  It is true that some are going to do more public speaking than others and some will be better at it than others.

The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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     To fulfill your calling, you have to be willing to continually learn and sharpen your skills.  At a minimum, you must be a reader.  Great leaders are readers. No excuses. They read as a discipline. What are you reading today that will make you a better person tomorrow?   If you want to succeed you have to learn.

It is estimated that successful people read one to two books per week.  Many times they will have several books going at the same time.  To grow, you must read. 

The Greek word for disciple is mathetes and simply means a disciplined learner.

     I was saved in my first semester of college. I finished my Associates Degree and went to a discipleship school for two and a half years.  Soon, I was on the mission field.  Within a few more years, I was pastoring a church, and while there, I completed my Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Theology.  My wife and I went back on the mission field for a few years and then came back to the United States.  Like many others whom I have met with ministry experience and a degree in Theology, I found myself out of place in the real world.  I had to make a decision to pursue typical ministry or redefine myself.  Well, since I don’t like boxes, I chose the latter.

      At the age of 33, I went back to school and finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.  I was willing to continue my education and stretch myself in areas outside my comfort zone. 

The experience I have gained and the broadening of my views as a result of being in the business world could not have been duplicated in a traditional ministerial setting. 

Not only has it been a great experience, but also I have been able to use the practical concepts I learned and apply them to ministry situations.  I used continuing education to diversify my skills and it paid off economically. If you find yourself in a similar place, take advantage of it. The company for whom I worked paid 80% of my education costs; it was a win-win for us both.  I can say my degree helped me grow, learn and obtain new opportunities.   

We have to be willing to learn and I mean continually learn, until the day we die. 

 If we are not learning, we are falling behind and missing all God has intended for us. I want to encourage you to find a book about your passion and read it. 

The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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     When I mention the word discipline, I am not using it in the context of correction but consistency. It is like a runner who uses self-discipline to get out and train every day.  We have plenty of reasons to quit what we are doing, but it is only through consistent day in and day out hard work that we achieve success.  Self-discipline is the key to staying on track.

     Paul said that he labored abundantly due to the grace of God upon his life. He was not sluggish about the promises and purposes of God but diligent to do his part. 

We are partners with God and partnership means we have a part to play.  We can’t just sit back thinking something is going to happen and that God is going to do it.  No, He has commissioned us to join with Him. 

He’s not going to write the book, build the new computer or hand out the food–we are His hands and feet.

     It was said that through faith and patience, Abraham inherited the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). The Greek word for patience in this context actually means consistent. Abraham stayed with it consistently. 

Ask someone how they accomplished something and they will tell you they stayed with it. 

     Watch a golf game.  The reason golfers make the game look easy is because they have consistently spent 8-10 hours a day practicing.  The musician makes playing a musical instrument look easy, but you don’t see all the hours that go into training.  Self-discipline is the key to success; it is the rails, which keep us on the track.  Self-discipline stays with it no matter what anyone else is doing or who is watching.  It is laboring in the grace of God for the audience of the One to whom we all must give account.

 The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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     Organization is almost a dirty word among some groups. However, it takes some level of organization to accomplish just about any task.  A body without an organized skeletal system is just a mass of tissue, organs and is useless and unable to accomplish anything without the structure that the skeletal system provides.

     It is not my intention to write about developing organizations.  It my intention to demonstrate that to develop and expand the real you, you must learn to work with organized teams, whether in a ministry, a business or an educational setting.  A team without organization is chaos. 

Organization is not the end but a means to the end, which is helping others. 

    When Jesus fed the five thousand, he organized them into groups (John 6).  The apostles set up an organized program to feed and take care of the widows in Jerusalem (Acts 6). Paul, responding to the prophetic word that Agubus gave concerning a famine in Judea (Acts 11), organized the collection, gathering, and distribution of needed supplies to that region (read the book of II Corinthians describing this effort.) Organizational development is inseparably related to fulfilling needs, whether we are getting a product to market, educating a child or feeding the hungry. 

Structure should be designed to meet clear objectives and sometimes, once those objectives have been met, may be discarded.   

     To keep organizational structure for structure’s sake is legalism.  Jesus talked about new wineskins that must be flexible (Luke 5:36-38). We live in a fast-paced, moving world and we need to keep up to date by changing with the needs presented to us. 

Organization is needed, but organization is not sacred.

     What I mean by that is never let how an organization works become your focus. I have found there are many ways to get from point A to point B, so let’s not get caught up in the method.  We do, however, need a method or organizational structure to get the task fulfilled.  

 The post is taken from an excerpt from my new book “Start To Finish” just click the link to see it on Amazon.

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