Jesus Came to Be Ruler

"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" Matthew 2:6 

Image Courtesy of Flickr User Waiting for the Word

The wise men of ancient Israel were commanded to assemble at King Herod's palace. Magi from the east had come to him previously asking, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" Herod demanded to know where the Messiah was to be born. They answered him by citing Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2 which declared "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." Needless to say, Herod was threatened by the potential competition. Yet we have recorded 800 years earlier that God had foreordained this very event.

So what does this passage teach us about why Jesus came? He came to be a ruler, but not a self-serving ruler of Herod's ilk. He would be a shepherd to God's people. From Heaven's perspective, He came to be in charge and be in control. In His incarnational ministry, many responded to His leadership and Lordship. In foretelling this unique coming, David had penned generations earlier the testimony of the Lord who had declared, "But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of The Lord: He said to Me,'You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’" (Psalm 2:6-7). Here is the Son who is king.

The word "ruler" used by Matthew is translated variously as governor, leader, or one who has the rule over. The extent of Jesus' rule extends ultimately to all places and all people. Revelation 11:5b tells us that, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." At the culmination of time, He will be the absolute ruler over the entire universe. Is it not wise, therefore, that we bow before Him now and acknowledge His authority to rule over us now? No wonder the first creed of the early church was, "Jesus is Lord!"

Working Ahead Toward 2014

When I worked as a Senior Pastor, I used from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day to think about, pray about, and plan for the coming year. Whether you are in vocational ministry or not, this is the right time of year to be doing the same thing. So, what do you plan to accomplish next year? It is easier for The Lord to redirect a person in motion than to motivate a person who is standing still. So, what are your plans? Here are mine.

First, I break my life up into categories. It is not that I intend to compartmentalize, just make sure that all my bases are covered. My two big categories are Personal and Professional. I will address the Personal first.

1. What will I do to grow spiritually? I have a systematic study I am doing through the Scriptures. Also, I have a list of people I pray for on a regular basis. These are foundational to everything else we do. I want to make sure I am in the place to hear the Lord when He leads and speaks. I do not want to settle for left-overs or second best.

2. What will I do to grow intellectually? Like this past year, my goal is to read 25 books and on top of that appropriate articles. I want to be faithful to love God with all my mind. I find that I do not "find" time to read. I have to "make" time to read.

3. What will I do to grow physically? That comes under the category of health and fitness. I really want to reduce and not grow! This past year I have dropped from 227 to 200 lbs. I am aiming to drop another 20. It will be interesting. It will take being faithful to a weight training and running routine. I will need to drink more water and start eating breakfast as a routine which I have not done in recent years. I will also need to be aware of the foods I eat. One goal that I do have is to reduce my best 5K running time from this year by two minutes. That will be interesting.

4. How will I grow relationally? I intend to spend quality time with Fern (my precious wife), my family (have I talked too much about my grandson?), and my friends. I also want to be more of an encourager to those in my circle of influence. I will need to determine specifically how to do these things. The key, still, is planning.

Next, I will work on my Professional category. Here are some things I want to do.

1. Excel at work. I know that I have a strong combination of abilities and experiences. I want to take those and build. Building is in my DNA. Everywhere I have worked I have been a builder. There's more building to be done.

2. Continue writing. My intention is to complete two new books in 2014. I will also continue to write a weekly blog and a minimum of five intelligent tweets a day (I intend to provide these so that others can use them). My intention is to write another two scholarly articles in the coming year.

That's a snapshot of what I intend to do in the coming year. Of course, The Lord could alter these at any time. But, I teach my students, if you fail to plan you plan to fail. So, my intention is to succeed at what God has called me to do. My intention is to be a tool in the hands of God. He will determine my ultimate success or failure. My responsibility is to remain faithful and diligent.

Now, what are you planning to accomplish next year? Have you thought about it, prayed about it, and have you written it down? Have you allocated the necessary time to do what you have planned? I hope you get to the conclusion of 2014 and are amazed at what God enabled you to do!

My Recommended Winter Reading

Last week, Fern and I spent four days in Baltimore where I attended the yearly gathering of the Evangelical Theological Society. On Wednesday afternoon, I presented a paper comparing Spurgeon's Down Grade Controversy and the precipitating events of the Southern Baptists' Conservative Resurgence. Besides sitting in on a variety of lectures and walking through the bookstore (best prices on books all year long), we were able to catch up with peers in other schools as well as former students. Four  questions are common to these catching up encounters:  "What are you writing these days? What are you reading? Where are you now and what are you doing?" I would like to take a few paragraphs and highlight the second question. 

In the last month or so, I have read three books of note and am half way through the fourth. The first two are by Daniel Pink, a business guru who takes sociological research, digests it, and applies it to business, educational, and institutional communities. The first book I read was Drive. This is a study of motivation and especially how people are motivated in their work environments. He argues that culture has gone through three phases which he identifies as Motivation 1, 2, and 3. Motivation one lasted up until approximately the year 1800. People as a whole were motivated simply to survive. The next phase, which was in effect up until 1980 or so is what I summarize as essentially the "carrot and the stick" mindset. It assumes that people want to do as little as possible. Therefore, their superiors motivate them with rewards (carrots) or threats (sticks). Since 1980, the model which has been growing in implementation is "purpose-driven." It assumes that workers want to do well, want to have meaning in what they do, and want to make a difference through their work. According to Pink, this applies to almost all institutions. Those stuck in a Motivation 2 Model will find themselves increasingly out of touch and unable to retain the services of their best employees.

Pink's newer book is entitled To Sell is Human. It is an interesting study of how almost all workers today find themselves in the position of needing to sell, even in jobs which require "non-selling sales." His point? No matter what you do, you will need to sell yourself and persuade people. So, why not do it well? This volume is packed with suggestions on how to be an effective communicator.

A third book I recently read is Bryan Litfin's Getting to Know the Church Fathers. This volume provides chapter snapshots of a select number of Patristic Fathers and Mothers.

Anyone who wants a nice concise review (or introduction) to Patristic leaders will find this volume informative and relevant. Litfin works hard to make these early Christian leaders come alive.

A final book, one that I am still reading, is John Fea's Why Study History? A more accurate title might be What is an Historian, What is History, and Why Is It  Worth the Trouble to Study? It is in fact a very sound introduction to the discipline of historiography. It is filled with discussable insights that will help any student grasp an understanding of the benefits of studying history. I thought one particularly important point was that any new history is "revisionist." It is the essence of incorporating new facts, insights, and interpretations to old events and their perception. For the record, some revisions are sound and other revisions are poor. Not all revisions are worth the paper they’re printed on.

I can readily recommend any of these volumes as tools to help you gain new insights from old subjects, or fresh understanding to new subjects.

What have you been reading lately? 

6 Reminders about Time from the Last Rose of Summer

The Last Rose of Summer

King Solomon attempted to put life in perspective when he wrote, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Moses prayed,  "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). And Jesus, commenting on His earthly days (and ours as well), advised, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4).

Earlier today, I shot a photo of the last rose growing in our flower garden. Over the spring, into the summer, and now with the fall under way this flower finally makes its magnificent entrance onto planet earth. It will be here momentarily then just as quickly as it appeared, it will fade away. Meteorologists are telling us that early this week in Kansas City, we will have the season's first visit of Arctic air and the temperature will dip into the low 20s. Goodbye rose!

Between Scripture and the garden, I find some life-lessons that I want to be mindful of. 

1. Each of us lives in the present. Cherish the time God gives. It will not last. It will move hastily on. We cannot slow time down. We all live in the present.

2. As we live in the present, we also live in community. Even there, each of us is in a different stage of life. I glance over to watch my grandson and see his mother (my daughter) walk across the room. It seems like yesterday that she was the grandchild and I was the parent. We are together but find ourselves at a different stage of life. And time races on.

3. Life passes all too quickly. I recently saw a portrait of Philadelphia from the late 1800s in "Historic Pics" on Twitter. What stood out for me was that everyone in the photo (which captures a moment in time) is now deceased. Life was here and now it is gone.

4. We should do all we can to display the reality and goodness of God while we have opportunity. We never know when the present opportunity is the last we will have. Even the last rose of summer (or fall), declared God's glory even for only a moment...and then it is gone.

5. In the end, life is over. I have said many times, there is nothing so sure as death and nothing so unsure as the time. All of us have a date with death from this life when we will step into eternity.

6. If we really embrace the reality of the brevity of life and the infinity of eternity, would we not choose to live differently? Does Hebrews not teach us, "it is appointed unto man to die and after that the judgment?" And if we will be judged, should we not live our lives in light of that inevitable appointment? 

Even as the last rose fades, I am reminded that we will too. So, like the rose, let's live our moment in the sun to display the beauty God intended.

The Parable of the Apple Tree: Year 2

This time last year we were enjoying apples from our tree. All totaled, we probably harvested close to 200 of them. This year, however, was different. We have one lone apple. 

Just one! 

We may have another hiding in the foliage but I doubt it. To what do I attribute this under performance? I could argue that God in His sovereignty decided to withhold His hand of blessing. But this leads me to observe that God often gets blamed for things He had nothing to do with. So what is the reason?

This past Spring started out just like the previous one. Beautiful green leaves came first then what looked like hundreds of little flowers. Each was beautiful in its unique way and each had the potential to grow and ripen into a delicious and mature apple. But I was busy and did not spray the tree this year for insects. Neither did I fertilize it. So between the insects, the deer that enjoyed the low hanging fruit, and the squirrels, by harvest season there was virtually nothing left. Who can I blame? Myself and no one else.

Jesus told a parable of a fruit tree that bore no fruit (Luke 13:6-9). In this instance it was a fig tree. It had the same problem my tree has had this year: no fruit. The gardener's solution? Give it one more year. I will dig around it and fertilize it, then we will see. If there is no fruit, then we will cut it down. But hopefully fruit will be present next growing season. The difference? Cultivation. In Jesus' case, digging around and fertilizer. In my case fertilizer and spraying. But the difference is in the cultivation.

All over the world, God has planted churches which, in agricultural terms, exist for the purpose of bearing a harvest. The fruit produced is both new believers and an increasing maturity on the part of its members. In John 15 terminology, believers are branches which bear the fruit which Jesus as the vine (He is dealing with grapes in this parable) produces and God the Father superintends as the Master Gardener. The life flows from the vine through the branches to produce fruit. 

From the human perspective, the key is still the issue of cultivation. Healthy trees, well tended, must produce fruit. If no fruit is forth coming, something is wrong. Every church with no new and maturing believers ought to consider that they might have a cultivation problem. I would encourage them, moreover, not only to acknowledge the problem but to take action. My apple tree next year, if I have anything to do with it, will be laden down with apples. Why? Because I intend to cultivate it and set it free to do what it was intended to do. Grow apples! 

How about your vineyard, your harvest field, your fruit tree? Are you cultivating the life and ministry God has entrusted to you? 

The test? Fruitfulness.

5 Assumptions of Prayer

Luke 18:1 states that Jesus taught His disciples that "at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart (give up)." In fact, the challenge is for us "to cry to Him day and night." Jesus concludes that God the Father will will bring justice quickly, then asks a salient question: "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" In other words, will He find His people praying and trusting, or complaining with despair?

I’d like to remind us all, myself included, of prayer's assumptions.

1. God is God of the universe. He created it and sustains it with purpose. By sending His Son to earth, God initiated His desire for reconciliation with all humanity. With reconciliation comes relationship, and with relationship comes both responsibility and privilege. Prayer is both.

2. We as humans live in a world of multiple planes. The horizontal is what we see. The vertical is what we do not see. The vertical controls the horizontal. The spiritual controls the physical and social.

3. Here is where prayer steps in. Every concern should be lifted to God in prayer. Every challenge should be a matter for prayer. If something is big enough to worry about, it is big enough to pray about. Every opportunity should be processed through prayer. Every hurt and insecurity and perceived injustice should be taken to The Lord. Every problem, decision, and plan should be laid before The Lord. That is how God designed us to live.

4. We were created to live in harmony with God's will. How can we do His will if we do not know it? Should we not go to Him and ask what it is that He wants? Yes, much of His will is found in His Word. But, the specifics of our lives on a day by day basis depend on our asking.

5. Prayer, intense focused prayer, can change the direction and trajectory of our lives personally, corporately, our families, churches, communities, and even society as a whole. There is no issue that God is unable or unwilling to resolve. But He waits for us to ask. We should pray and not give up. We should pray day and night. We should be a people who are known for our faith and for our prayers!

10 Steps to Take Before Conflict Arises at Your Church

Last week I had the privilege of speaking to a group of church leaders in Nashville on the subject of church conflict. As a survivor of conflict, I shared with them insights I gained from the situation I faced. I want to share them with you.

1. Do not say it cannot happen to you. I am convinced that no matter how strong and influential you and your congregation might be, Satan can orchestrate conflict. I remind myself, if it can happen to Jonathan Edwards after 24 years as the pastor in Northampton, it can happen to anyone.

2. Take all threats seriously. When someone says, "I will ruin you," believe that is his or her intention. Then, take every step you can to deal with it. Ignoring it will only allow things to get worse.

3. Take pre-emptive steps. Pastors can do three things to minimize potential conflict. First, clarify expectations on the front end. If you have a way of doing things, or you will not come unless certain conditions are agreed upon, then put that in a "Memorandum of Understanding" and have the church vote on that when they vote on you. Unclarified expectations can be potentially volatile. Second, communicate demographic realities. Let the folks know what is happening and why. Third, update your Constitution and Bylaws to preclude being vulnerable to unwarranted attacks.

4. Make sure you are insured. An umbrella liability policy is relatively inexpensive and can be a life-saver in the midst of threats. This can offer a measure of security against potential financial ruin.

5. Retain the services of a good attorney. Have them do a risk profile on you and your church when things are going well. This can minimize potential threats to your congregation. (I can refer you to an attorney who does this if you contact me). I know for myself, especially when the attacks began, attorney Larry Crain, an Associate with the ACLJ, was a God-send.

6. Retain the services of a good counselor. Fortunately, I am married to one of the best counselors I know. Still, a sound Christian Counselor can be invaluable. Keeping everything bottled up inside of you is a recipe for disaster. Get a professional listening ear to help you process what you are experiencing.

7. Do not leave until God says so. Too many ministers resign and run at the first sign of trouble. Stay put until God tells you otherwise.

8. Here are some specific things that helped me: a supportive wife and family, confiding in close friends, journaling daily, praying in specifics, and constantly remembering that God is ultimately in control.

9. Forgive. You do not have to forget, but the refusal to forgive will place you in a self-imposed prison and life is too short to waste it there. Forgiveness is a choice not an emotion.

10. Finally, remember Genesis 50:20 where Joseph told his brothers,"What men meant for evil, God meant for good." God can use adversity to prepare you for greater ministry if you will respond to it appropriately. Keep you eyes on Him and trust Him with your future!