Modern Leaders Who Seek Relevance

When a leader pursues relevance, significance, and fame he’s forgetting one thing: Jesus didn’t. Matthew 23:11

Newtown: Be careful when you parrot the ignorant

Social media is replete with statements of that God allowed this shooting happen because prayer was judicially removed from schools forty years ago. Don't be guilty of speaking without thinking. Yes, society's eviction of God and its pursuit of secularism does create a vivid contrast compared to a society that once honored God. But, did the shootings in America's malls, schools, streets, and churches happen because prayer was banished? Of course not!

A shooting in America, whether en masse or singularly, represents a heart problem, not a handgun problem. Consider, Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Our world has dealt with murders since the killing of Abel by his own brother. These brothers were raised in a godly family with home education. The parents grieved over the loss of their son. But, no legislative act prevented the murderous action of Cain, a man depraved. Man is desperately wicked.

If I were grieving the loss of my son today from such a tragedy, I would not want to hear people making my grief a platform for their pet issue. (Prayer in school, Christ in Christmas, or tougher federal laws on gun control) I would want to know I had friends and family who could remind me of God's promises. I would want a nation who mourned with me. I would want a Pastor who'd stand in the pulpit today and remind me that God is in control.

Psalms 73:17 ”Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."

The Rich Family in the Church

Fifteen years ago I read this short article. I was reminded of it recently. I thought you might enjoy at this Christmas time when you may be asked to give.

THE RICH FAMILY IN CHURCH
By Eddie Ogan

I'll never forget Easter 1946. I was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12,and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money.

By 1946 my older sisters were married and my brothers had left home. A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially.

When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would allow us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. When we thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn't listen to the radio, we'd save money on that month's electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard cleaning jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1.

We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives. Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we'd sit in the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had reminded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.

The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before.

That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn't care that we wouldn't have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrificial offering.

We could hardly wait to get to church! On Sunday morning, rain was pouring. We didn't own an umbrella, and the church was over a mile from our home, but it didn't seem to matter how wet we got. Darlene had cardboard in her shoes to fill the holes. The cardboard came apart, and her feet got wet.

But we sat in church proudly. I heard some teenagers talking about the Smith girls having on their old dresses. I looked at them in their new clothes, and I felt rich.

When the sacrificial offering was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front. Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20.

As we walked home after church, we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a surprise for us. She had bought a dozen eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn't say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills.

Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn't talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like millionaires to feeling like poor white trash. We kids had such a happy life that we felt sorry for anyone who didn't have our Mom and Dad for parents and a house full of brothers and sisters and other kids visiting constantly. We thought it was fun to share silverware and see whether we got the spoon or the fork that night.

We had two knifes that we passed around to whoever needed them. I knew we didn't have a lot of things that other people had, but I'd never thought we were poor.

That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn't like being poor. I looked at my dress and wornout shoes and felt so ashamedI didn't even want to go back to church. Everyone there probably already knew we were poor!

I thought about school. I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class of over 100 students. I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor. I decided that I could quit school since I had finished the eighth grade. That was all the law required at that time. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn't know. We'd never known we were poor. We didn't want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. Although it was a sunny day, we didn't talk on the way. Mom started to sing, but no one joined in and she only sang one verse. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can't we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week.

Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering.

When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church." Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100."

We were the rich family in the church! Hadn't the missionary said so? From that day on I've never been poor again. I've always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!

What to do when you are at Selahammahlekoth?

1 Samuel 23:26-28 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

Saul was an angry leader. He struggled with pride and stubbornness. These two sins made Saul “play the fool” in his kingly ministry. 

Saul hunted David like a dog would hunt for its desired object. He wanted David eliminated. Saul believed David was his greatest threat. However, David was not Saul’s greatest threat. Saul was his own greatest threat. Saul had become so consumed with his pursuit toward pride and jealousy. Saul had abandoned his responsibility of the ministry to do other things. 

This is what is occurring in our text. David is in hiding. Saul is on one side of the mountain and David is on the other. Saul believes he is ready to capture David again. God intervenes with the message of the messenger and makes Saul face his real priority. “The Philistines have invaded the land.” Saul is so consumed with his stubbornness and pride; he actually struggles with do I try again to capture David? Conversely, do I defend against the invasion of the Philistines? Saul’s heart was divided to go hither and thither; so the place was named Selahammahlekoth. (pronounced See-La-ha-ma’-le-koth)

When we stray from God’s purpose He will send us children to places like Selahammahlekoth. He will force us to choose. Our choice is the same as Saul’s. Do we follow the “pursuits of pride?” or do we get back to “dealing with the enemy?” 

Why do we become so consumed with our selfish pursuits that we abandon our priority? The answer is clear. We are driven away by the lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh is a powerful force. It will drive us from our priority in ministry to do what we want. The lust of the flesh reveals our pride and stubbornness.

Are you fulfilling what God would call his priority for you? Has God sent you to a Selahammahlekoth to you to make you stop and reconsider? 

Reader, please do not struggle! Go home and deal with the invading enemy. The pursuit you are on may be your own pursuit and not His. 

You may have tried convincing your immediate circle of friends that what you are doing is ministry, but you know better. Linger not a moment longer, get back to His priority. 

Think about it…

Committing to the Faithful

This week I taught Principles of Contextualization at the Biblical School of World Evangelism. The class required 20 hours in classroom instruction.

Five students took the class. I was refreshed by the student's interest and involvement.

Contextualization is the method of taking the culture into mind as you present the unchanging truth of the Gospel of Christ.

I am thankful Mr. Obama won...

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President Barak Obama

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” 1 Timothy 2:1–3

I am thankful Mr. Barack Obama won last night.

Why am I thankful Mr. Obama won the US Presidency?

1.  His victory reminds me of America's spiritual need. I see that the US demography has changed. America needs fully-supported Church Planters, and a spiritually engaged membership with a passion for souls.

2. His victory reminds me of the Christian's spiritual responsibility.

A believer is to supplicate for their fellow citizens, kings, and all in authority. 

A believer is to pray for their fellow citizens, kings, and all in authority. 

A believer is to intercede for their fellow citizens, kings, and all in authority. 

A believer is to give thanks for their fellow citizens, kings, and all in authority.

3. His victory reminds me of the Christian's social responsibility. 

I am to lead a quiet life.

I am to lead a peaceable life.

I am to live a godly life.

I am to live an honest life.

Daniel reminds us God wanted Mr. Obama to be in power at this time. “... Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.” Daniel 2:20–22

So, while today is just like yesterday, it will be nothing like tomorrow! 

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Vote the Bible

President Obama: "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

However, today, I explained my frustration by clinging to my ballot and voted.

The right to vote came at too high a price to ignore.

My Week

I spent the week at Ambassador Baptist College. It's near my home and is a favored place of mine for ministry.

It culminated with a banquet and a drama last night on the life of Lottie Moon.

The week allowed me to speak in classes, interact with students, meet with other missions reps, and speak to Missions Prayer Band.

We also hosted Student Appreciation Night on Thursday. We brought in 21 Dozen cupcakes from a local baker. I enjoyed the fellowship that the event brought.

I leave today for Orangeburg, SC.