Marilyn

I am posting today from Panera Bread in Burnsville, MN. Letha and I are in town to help celebrate the life and home-going of a dear friend. On Friday, Marilyn Kliner went to be with God. Please pray for her husband and my close friend, Denny, as well as her entire family and circle of influence.

Any accusations of me being sentimental today would be correct. Just a thought: go ahead and take Tim McGraw’s advice. Live today like you may not have tomorrow.

God bless the Kliners and all who were touched by Mar’s remarkable life.

old school reminder

This morning, I brought out a old reminder of an ancient truth. While preaching about our positions as believers in Christ in regard to the current economic crisis in America, I reminded the people that, God is in control, by reading the lyrics (I did not sing!) of Twila Paris’ vintage 90’s hit .

Enjoy them and apply wherever applicable:

God is in Control

This is no time for fear
This is a time for faith and determination
Don't lose the vision here
Carried away by emotion
Hold on to all that you hide in your heart
There is one thing that has always been true
It holds the world together

God is in control
We believe that His chilren will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control

History marches on
There is a bottom line drawn across the ages
Culture can make its plan
Oh, but the line never changes
No matter how the deception may fly
There is one thing that has always been true
It will be true forever

God is in control
We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
God is in control, oh God is in control

congrats to brent and lindsey!

Brent Maloney and Lindsey Jones are getting married on Saturday! These are two really great people whom God has brought together. Their wedding is in Atlanta and they will celebrate their day with family and friends.

God bless the new Maloneys. Let’s pray for about 100 years of happy marriage for them.

say “yes”, say “no”

One of the most difficult to develop skills of an effective leader is learning how and when to say “yes” or “no”. How does one determine, is there a list of rules that we can follow that will help us decide what is important and what should fall by the wayside?

In my experience, most leaders have a tougher time with the “no” aspect. A productive lifestyle is usually full of activity and it is very easy to operate in the mode of “full-speed ahead”. This is cool and lots of fun but can sometimes be counter-productive.

I have developed a simple little list for you to consider as you move through your leadership day. Maybe this will be some groundwork to help us all know when to pull the plug or when to stay in high gear. It should at least start some wheels turning.

When considering the yes/no question, run through this list:

Considering the opportunity…

Is it crucial to the fulfillment of your vision? say yes
Is it part of your primary calling? say yes
Does it complement your particular gift mix? say yes
Does it have a multiplying factor? (doing the thing would have exponential results) say yes
Are you being pressured by outside forces? say no
Is it something that is being done, because it has always been done? say no
Would you be doing this simply to please people? say no
Does it take away from your ability to focus on your primary responsibility? say no
Is everyone, or anyone else doing it? say no
Is it fun? say yes
Is it a drag? say no

Obviously, there are qualifiers for all of these scenarios, but you get the idea.

Come on, use your good judgment. Say “yes” or “no” but whatever you do, get on with the thing God has called you to do!

true colors

On Sunday, we dropped by the mall for a few minutes. The early football games were over so there were several football fans there, celebrating a rare win. We saw lots of people wearing football jerseys, hats and various paraphernalia, all elated because their team is # 1, at least until next week. I saw one couple who were maybe a little tipsy from too much booze. He was wearing a jersey, she had on an old faded team t-shirt and a bunch of Mardi Gras -type beads. They walked by an Orthodox Jewish family who was dressed in traditional clothing. They were wearing black and the gentleman was wearing his kippa or yarmulke, the traditional skull cap. Keep in mind, this type of clothing is required by the Jewish religion to show respect and honor for God. It is part of their worship. This ritual is centuries old and has substantially deep cultural and religious roots. The first couple, clad in the football clothes looked at, pointed at and laughed at the Jewish family. They didn’t even try to hide their amusement.

What an obvious display of a culture gone ridiculous. The first couple was wearing ugly clothes, with colors that were based on a bad football team. They had the nerve to laugh at someone else who was not nearly as cool as they were, and were clearly very strange. They were superior, in part, because their team won today. The Jews were inferior because, well, their team didn’t even play today.

Jewish people have been around since the beginning of recorded history. This football team for about one generation. The Jews aren’t going anywhere. The football team could be gone as soon as a better offer from another city shows up. The Jews have loved God from the beginning. Football fans are as fickle as they come.

True colors, indeed.

1st Pres.

On Sunday, Letha and I had the opportunity to visit a small church in a small town. We were taking a few days away for rest and decided to worship in a completely different environment. It was a refreshing change.

The service was formal and fairly liturgical. There were about 60 people present. The pastor wore a very nice cleric’s robe, we sang all hymns (six of them!), the only musical accompaniment was a small pipe organ and we prayed from a pre-selected liturgy. The pastor preached an excellent message from Matthew 20 about the parable of the laborers. His main point was: many times we think that God is not fair because He does not give us what we deserve. If we think we deserve more than what we have been given, this reveals that we truly have no idea about fairness. We should thank God that He doesn’t treat us “fairly”, or else, we would be in big trouble with Him. I was ministered to by the message.

As we sat there and joined in the praise, I was ashamed of our arrogance, assuming that we know it all and presuming that our way is better. I thought about our church back home and how our services are so different (not better, just different). I thought about how many times we turn up our noses when someone dares to do things differently than we are accustomed to. I was humbled by the sincerity of the pastor, the worshippers and this great worship service. The experience will stay with me.

I found myself well able to worship God in that setting. We should be able to focus on God when things are different. When they don’t sing “our songs” or preach it the way we like it, we should be able to worship God nonetheless. Substance must supersede style.

I will be glad to be back home this Sunday, but a little part of me wants to wear a robe - and I don’t even own a bath robe!

heartbreaking hopelessness

Recently, I had the experience of escorting someone to court. This was not traffic court, it was for more serious offenders. It was a rather disturbing experience. It had been a while since I was among so many people who were so disrespected. These were mostly young people and most were minorities. The behavior of some of these individuals was a little surprising, considering that they were in trouble. I assumed that they would at least pretend to show honor to the court and judge but this was not the case.

I was struck by the despair in the place. While I am trying to create some optimism, some of these people are in no-win situations. Anything short of a miracle and many of these kids are headed nowhere fast. I do realize that much of the bravado is posing, what appears to be tough and hard hearted is really repressed fear and insecurity. My heart goes out to them. And I am wondering how in the world that people who know Christ can ever reach them.

I do know this – these are exactly the kind of people that Jesus hung out with. These were the people that Jesus chose as friends. So it is possible to reach them. And that is what keeps them from being hopeless. Now all they need is some time with Jesus. Or some of Jesus’ friends who are willing to do what He did.

$

I was reading Bob Coy’s book, Dreamality. Bob is the Lead Pastor at Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and has an incredible success story going. In his book, he has a great chapter on stewardship, or the concept that all of our resources belong to God and we simply steward or take care of these resources for a short while.

Let me share a couple of things from the chapter:

“Records show that in a year’s time, Americans have been known to spend:

$110 billion on fast food.
$85 billion on lawns and gardens
$64 billion on soft drinks
$38 billion on state lotteries
$36 billion on vending machine products
$24 billion on jewelry
$23 billion on toys
$20 billion on cosmetics
$13 billion on chocolate
$7.1 billion on greeting cards
$600 million on teeth-whitening products

Consider these startling amounts in light of a few random bits of information, on what it costs to support life in another country.

· Just under $20 will feed a family of four for four weeks in Iraq.
· For $800 you can build a house in Nicaragua, and $25 will feed a family of four for a month.”
(p. 39)

Wow, thanks, Bob for putting some things in perspective. Makes me want to give more away.

too old to rock ‘n roll, too young to die

As unspiritual as it is, I am thinking today about the old Jethro Tull song, “Too Young to Die” (vintage 1976). The song is basically a rock ballad about a guy whose friends have all abandoned their partying ways because of age and responsibility. He hangs onto the old lifestyle and ultimately dies in the end, crashing his motorcycle into a truck. Edifying stuff, huh?

The point of this post is not the point of the song. My thought is more along the lines of how difficult it is to maintain ministry passion over the long haul . It seems like lots of people get tired and worn down. After years of working and leading, some leaders feel like they are just too “old” to “rock ‘n roll”, or lead. It may not be a matter of age, it may be a matter of miles. Whatever the cause, there are too many people on the shelf, no longer on the front line of making it happen. This is a shame. There is a lot us potential life-changing ministry sitting on the chairs of churches all over the world.

Let me try to inspire you. You are never too old or tired or burned out to lead. Don’t ever believe that you are. Maybe you need a break, maybe even a sabbatical would help. But if you are feeling like the better days of your leadership tasks are behind you (whether you are 20 or 80), think again.

If you are still alive, you’ve got something to share. As our friends, Jethro Tull reminds us in the last line of the song: “No, you're never too old to Rock'n'Roll if you're too young to die”.

a leadership mistake

I have a memory that haunts me. I was with a group of guys on a short-term missions trip to Central America. We were doing a construction project and, as is usually the case on these trips, one of the guys got pretty sick. Actually, we thought he had the flu, he was sick when we got on the plane in the US. I was rooming with this guy on our trip. (we stayed at a ½ star $8 a night hotel!)

Here’s what bothers me. I didn’t want to get sick. I was leading the trip and I really couldn’t afford to be wiped out. So I went to another room. I abandoned this guy when he was really sick. I protected myself.

That has been 10 plus years ago and it still comes to mind every few weeks. I consider this to be one of my greatest failures as a leader. I blew it. I did get a chance to apologize to the guy later, and he didn’t seem to hold it against me, but I no doubt let him and myself down.

Leading is serving, plain and simple. Looking out for the best interest of others. Putting others before yourself. I don’t have to tell you that Jesus is the greatest leader of all time, in part, because He laid down his life for His friends.

God help me to never repeat this mistake.

impressions

Back to the dentist on Friday. I had some impressions made. If your haven’t had this thrill, it is where they fill your mouth with quick-dry cement. They try to make the experience more tolerable by giving the concrete a – non concrete taste. It doesn’t help much. The hygienist loaded up the mouthpiece-shaped tray and held it in my mouth. “It only takes a few minutes to set up”, she said. It did. Within a couple of minutes, this stuff was hard as a rock and she removed it from my mouth.

If you read this blog, you know where I am going. Sorry to be Captain Obvious. It only takes a few minutes to set up an impression. People form opinions about us within the first few seconds of meeting us. Right or wrong, they determine what kind of people we are and whether or not they like us based simply on the way we present ourselves. I do it all the time, you do, too.

What impressions are we making? Is there anything in our at-first-glance lives that speak of hope? Is there anything in us that help turn someone toward Christ? I believe that it is entirely possible to impact someone, at least on a minimal level, in only a few seconds. If you don’t believe me, think about the last time a total stranger smiled at you. It helped, didn’t it?

Sometimes you have a lifetime. Sometimes you have a split second.

that's my King

The late Dr. S.M. Lockeridge, a preacher from San Diego, California said these words in a sermon in Detroit in 1976:

That's My King!

My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King. Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my King. He's God's Son. He's the sinner's saviour. He's the centrepiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's honest. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent. He's the grandest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of historic theology. He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King.He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He's the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's the Almighty God who guides and keeps all his people. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. That's my King.Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King.His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you . . .but He's indescribable. He's indescribable. That's my King.He's incomprehensible. He's invincible. He's irresistible. I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King.He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King!Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the 'ever's, then . . . Amen.

pray for free chapel

My buddy, Jeremy Self has been working for a couple of years on a new church that he is planting in Austin, Texas. They are scheduled to begin on Sunday. That’s right, the very weekend that all of South Texas is supposed to be blown away by Hurricane Ike.

Let’s pray for Jeremy and his family and the people of Free Chapel. Let’s ask God to weaken the storm, to protect life and property. Let’s count on God to, in some way, bring hope and life out of this really bad situation. Let's remember, some of the coolest miracles of Jesus happened in storms.

Jeremy, we love you guys and are holding you up! A little old cat 3 hurricane can’t stop you!

blind

On Sunday, between our 9:00 and 10:45 services, I slipped away to my office to get something to drink and to pray for a couple of minutes. I have been praying for some of the people as they drive up and for the services in general. My office is upstairs overlooking one of our parking lots so I can see some of the people arriving, going into the church.

I looked out as a young family, obviously new, came out of the Worship Center looking for the place to take their kids. Clearly, they did not know where to go. They looked around at the building across the lot and kind of meandered toward one of the entrances, only to then change directions and head for the other door. I stood there helpless, very afraid that they would, out of frustration, just go back to their car. Understand, we have great First Impressions people who normally would handle this, but this family had fallen through the cracks. Here is where the story gets worse. One of our oldest members - by that I mean this person has been around the church for a LONG time – walked up to and right on by this new, lost family. This person did not say a word, as far as I could tell, didn’t even acknowledge that this family was even there. I wanted to jump out the window – not to kill myself – but to try to salvage the situation. I felt guilty for a couple of minutes of rest when I could have been down there personally greeting this new family.

It is difficult to preach with composure when you have just seen such blatant insensitivity and rudeness exhibited by a “mature” follower of Jesus, but God helped me. I wish I could say that this person is blind. In a way they are. Apparentl seeing-impaired to the purpose of the church.

The good news is, the lost family eventually found their way to the children’s ministry area and the parents came back into the worship service. I did not get to meet them, have no idea what their names are and have no clue if they will ever come back. Honestly, with a start like that, I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t. Hopefully, something that was done or said allowed them to see the heart of God as expressed by His church.

Maybe they were blind, too. Maybe they couldn’t see the seasoned church member. Possibly they were oblivious to this person's insensitivity. Maybe they were also ignoring this person. I can only hope.

I am glad to say, this is an unusual occurrence at Maranatha. And eventually, we will get more people on board to the vision of reaching people for Christ. Until then, I am going to keep praying and I’ll be sure to keep my windows locked.

the treasure principle

I speed-read Randy Alcorn’s book, The Treasure Principle. I didn’t rush through it because it was not good or I did not like it. I just have too much reading to do and I am trying to catch up.

The book is very helpful, not wonder it was a huge seller. The subtitle is: Unlocking the Secrets of Joyful Giving. This is well stated. For most people, there is no joy in giving, or at least the joy is being kept secret. That is unfortunate, because at least two of the results of this are people don’t give and “meetable” needs are not met.

Let me give you a couple of good quotes from the book, as well as the key principles that Alcorn sets forth.

“You can’t take it with you - but you CAN send it on ahead.”
“The less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become.” J Hudson Taylor
“Giving isn’t a luxury of the rich. It’s a privilege of the poor.”
“You couldn’t pay me enough not to give.”
“We think we own our possessions but too often they own us.”
“I have held many things in my hand and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” Martin Luther
“I used to rob six convenience stores a year. This year, by His grace, I’m going to rob only three.” (a commentary on people who decided to give God only part of what is His.)

Treasure Principle #1: God Owns everything. I’m His money manager.
We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted - not given - to us.
Treasure Principle #2: My heart always goes where I put my money.
Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.
Treasure Principle #3: Heaven, not earth, is my home.
We are citizens of “a better country – a heavenly one” ( Hebrews 11:16)
Treasure Principle #4: I should not live for the dot but for the line.
From the dot – our present life on earth – extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.
Treasure Principle #5: Giving is the only antidote to materialism.
Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.
Treasure Principle #6: God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving.
God gives us more money that we need so we can give – generously.

Alcorn has a really nice Giving Covenant available. Check it out and apply as necessary.

If you haven’t read the book, pick it up. I hope every member of our church reads it. If you can’t afford a copy, I’ll buy you one. But only after you have given up Starbucks and cable TV and the day spa… :)

covenant friends

I just returned from a two day retreat with a group of nine friends. It is what we call our Covenant Group. We are basically a small group that has been together for about 3 years. We are all pastors and meet once a month for 3 hours to share life and ministry. Once a year, we spend a few days together praying and discussing our work.

These guys have become great friends. We are a diverse group with lots of ministry approaches represented. There are some younger guys and a couple are more seasoned. We live in big cities and small towns. We serve larger churches and smaller churches. We have committed to pray with and for each other, to hold one another accountable and to do what we can to encourage effective ministry in one another.

There is incredible value in groups like this. There is much to be gained in accountability to and responsibility for other people. I believe that everyone should have some type of covenant relationship.

If you are not already doing this, give it some serious consideration.

Holy Communion

Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month, our time to observe Holy Communion. Sometimes I approach this sacred time in a clearly non-biblical way. I rush in, with no forethought, no preparation. Not this time.

I am thinking tonight about what Christ accomplished on the cross. How much eternal good was accomplished in six hours on one Friday so long ago?

Count Nikolaus Ludwig Von Zinzendorf said, “For all at once, all sin is atoned for on the Cross, the entire Fall is erased, and the whole obligation to Satan and the entire sentence passed upon the fall of Adam is torn up, cancelled, and annulled by the nails of Jesus.”

How much has He done for me and what should be my response?

i don’t like ike

Unless you live in a cave (in which case you probably don’t have access to the internet and therefore can’t read this post), you are already sick of hearing about Hurricane Ike. We in South Florida certainly are. This time of year always brings trepidation about the possibility of a major storm. The last two weeks have been typically trying. Ike has everyone on edge.

I have heard over the last few days from a few people who live down here who are choosing to leave town before the storm has a chance to hit. I really don’t blame people if they are able to scoot. Even if the evacuation proves unnecessary, waiting until the last minute can prove to be a mistake.

One of the interesting things about serving in local church ministry leadership is the idea that you can’t leave. Unless EVERYONE else departs, you have to stay. I am OK with that. I would never want to give anyone the impression that they are abandoned by their spiritual leadership in a time of crisis. It would be terrible to be needed and to be out of sight. I think it is kind of the “captain going down with the ship” thing. This is not an effort to appear noble. It is a realization that leadership responsibility runs deep.

The ship will not sink. If, by chance it does, I really wouldn’t want to be up north, safe and sound. I don’t think I could live with myself. I also don’t think I would have any credibility left once I returned to town. If someone needs prayer or encouragement or a helping hand, I want to be here.

If you are reading this from someplace north of, say Florida, and west of, say North Carolina, pray for us. Pray that the storms die out. Pray that the active storms lose strength. Pray for the storm victims in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas and Cuba. Pray for the people of the New Orleans area who are trying to recover from Gustav (and Katrina!). Pray for people and homes in the Keys. People are being evacuated in prep for the storm. As of 8PM on Saturday night, Key West could suffer a direct hit from a cat 4. Pray that the emotional pressure that is caused by all of this uncertainty will settle. Pray that churches can meet on Sunday and bring comfort to the worshippers. And pray that no leaders abandon ship.

Thanks!

the church and hope

Our culture is in dire need of something in which to hope. People are desperate for a container, some place that will hold their confidence. Most buckets that have worked in the past have developed holes.

There is a skepticism regarding politics that has not been seen in recent times. A significant portion of our population scoffs at the idea that a particular man or woman is the answer to our country’s woes. Many of those who vote do so out of obligation and a sense of civic responsibility. There is no delusion of actually making a difference.

Our government has blown it in so many areas that not many citizens have maintained any trust.

Our economy is in the tank. People who once held their future secure in their savings are now wondering if there is a future. Instability personifies the world markets. Consumer confidence is now an irrelevant term.

Religion is a joke to many, nothing more than ritual to others. The optimism that organized religion is our hope is a thing of the past.

Any thoughts about the basic goodness of humankind carrying us forward are dispelled with each suicide bomb and each beyond-brutal crime.

Sounding pretty bleak?
Sounds like the perfect opportunity for today’s purveyors of hope. The church of Jesus Christ has been given a wide-open door. All we have to do is speak up. We don’t have to go looking for converts , all we have to do is live. Live in our communities, breath the same air as our neighbors, engage in life around us.

One of my favorite, life-giving scriptures is I Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (TNIV) Hope is organic in the life of the believer and it should be clearly detectible. I believe that hope in the middle of despair is one of the more apparent and attractive character traits of a Christ-follower.

The church that offers hope offers Christ. The church that reneges on its responsibility to share hope with a hurting culture is no church at all. It is a gathering of struggling people who are operating outside of God’s intentions. We would be no better off than any other social organization.

This is it, this is our chance. Let’s not blow it. Share the treasure of hope. It is the most valuable resource you have. It is the greatest need in the world.

lead like josiah

The story of Josiah in II Kings 22 and 23 is pretty cool. This is a young leader (8 years old when he took office!) who led his followers into and through an intense process of spiritual renewal. When you get a few minutes, read the details of his life and accomplishments.

It all started when he gave orders to repair the temple of worship. I think this reflects a heart that understands the priority of putting God first. Too many of us, I believe, are willing to neglect the important details of our relationship with God. Not Josiah.

While the workers were deep into the renovations, they discovered a scroll which contained the Word of God. These documents had been missing for some time and the people were unaware of what they contained. You can imagine that they were excited to open them and see what God had to say. What they read was not pleasing or comforting, in fact, they were convicted by what they read as they realized that they had, through ignorance and neglect, been living in complete disobedience to God.

Josiah, being the strong leader that he was, led the way to a time of far-reaching repentance. These people were genuinely sorry for their sins.

Chapter 22 ends and chapter 23 begins with a spiritual cleansing of the entire land. Josiah again leads the way, this time in ridding the land of all of the false gods that the people had been worshipping. I would imagine that this move required a lot of courage. Keep in mind that this action makes him an agent of change because his father and many other former leaders had led the way into idol worship. Although he was young, he did not mind standing up for what was right and changing the direction of the nation.

I like Josiah and I like his leadership style. Identify what is a priority. When God responds to our commitment to do the right thing, listen to what He has to say. If/when he tells you something that you need to adjust, pay attention. Lead the way in repentance when necessary (and it is often necessary). Once this happens, lead again, in cleaning up your act. This may go against the flow and it may take real courage to turn things around, but do it.

Check out these accolades: II Kings 23:25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did-with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. (NIV)

Read about Josiah, study his style and be motivated to be the same kind of leader.

a primer on ministry philosophy

Approaches to ministry are as varied as people. I would like to say that there is no right or wrong way to try to reach people for God but that simply isn’t the case.

The wrong way is the one that doesn’t work. If our efforts result in no one coming to Christ, no disciples, no food for the hungry or friends for the lonely, it is not working. This is the wrong way to do God’s work.

The right way to do ministry is the way that works. The results are obvious – people come to know and love Christ. They are discipled in the ways of scripture. People are given hope. This is ministry that works.

A ministry philosophy that works is missional in its approach. The leaders know what will reach the people and families in the community. There isn’t a lot of time wasted with ineffective programs. Each local culture is different and it is the responsibility of ministry leaders to know the culture and direct ministry accordingly.

Let’s not get caught up in tradition or labels or what is popular. Let’s get caught up in effectiveness. Regarding results, keep in mind that Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 7:19 NCV)

Let’s do what works.