Which King?

This past Sunday we witnessed a teachable moment gone awry.  The pastor called the children to the front of the church to pray with them before dismissing them to “King’s Kids” (Sunday School) classes.  Before he prayed he asked them what they were learning about in King’s Kids. 

One little guy piped up, "The king!”  Clearly thinking this was a teachable moment the pastor responded, “Which king?”  To which the little guy responded, “Burger King!”

Gales of laughter ensued from the congregation and pastors.  A prayer was said and the kids were sent off to their classes.  I leaned over and whispered to my husband, “There’s got to be a blog post in there somewhere.”  So here we are.

It’s been at least 15 years, possibly more, since I ingested a fast food burger!  Generally they wreak havoc with my digestive system.  However, in the interests of blog research, further investigation was required.  I had to google “Burger King” to find out where they were located in Edmonton, and ended up hitting on $2.49 Whopper Wednesday; a whopper, fries, and a bottle of water for only $5.25.  Who knew!

I remember the Burger King “king” as a fairly cheesy (no pun intended for those who like their Whopper with cheese) branding character.  Apparently their marketing people felt the same because there is no hint of the “king” anywhere in the restaurant.  The closest I could find related to kingship was a crown on the wall and one on their paper cups.

So apparently the burger “king” no longer exists as a character but the legacy of Burger King lives on in $2.49 Whopper Wednesdays and in the mind of a child on Sunday morning!

Where am I going with this?  Well, aside from actually enjoying my grossly unhealthy lunch, I got to thinking about kings. 

In that little guy’s life the king of choice at that particular moment was Burger King.  Maybe he’d been promised Burger King for lunch.  I’m fairly sure the answer the pastor was hoping to extract from this little guy was Jesus.  (After all isn’t that the answer to any Sunday School question?)

As Christians, Jesus is our Lord and King.  What’s sad is how often we put things ahead of Jesus.  Soon He becomes downgraded from King to commoner.

We end up treating Jesus no better than a fast food order window.  We absent-mindedly toss up prayers, expecting short order answers in five minutes or less.  Then we wonder why we feel disconnected and dissatisfied in our Christian walk. 

How much better would it be if we spent time getting to know Jesus, who He is, and what He did to save us from our messed up lives; giving us eternal life with our Father in Heaven?  How close a relationship would we have with Him if we spent daily time in prayer and bible study?  Start today and renew your relationship with our King.

Things To Think About

Have you downgraded Jesus’ status from Lord and King to something else?  Are you in the habit of making “fast food prayer requests”?  What steps can you take today to re-establish Jesus’ kingship in your life?

Share your thoughts by clicking on “Comments” below.

What To Do About Jesus

“What shall I do, then with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  This is the question Pilate asked an unruly crowd many years ago.  The response to this question led to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus; a series of events that has caused people around the world to ask themselves the very same question.

I went to church for years without asking myself that question.  I believed in God and prayed to God, but Jesus was just kind of there in the background.  I couldn’t really articulate what I believed about Him, and I was OK with that.

Eventually I realized if I was going to call myself a Christian, I needed to make a decision.  Did I believe Jesus was the Son of God, crucified and risen?  If I did what were the implications of that?  And what if I got it wrong?  It was a decision only I could make and it was time to choose what I was going to do with Jesus.

I started on a faith journey, searching for answers to mysterious questions.  Everyone’s faith journey is different.  Mine happened over the course of the last few years and I’m still on it.  But early on, after reading and reflecting on the gospels in the Bible, my decision about Jesus was made. 

I do believe Him to be the Son of God.  I believe He voluntarily died on the cross so I can be forgiven of my wrong doings.  I believe He rose from the grave and is alive in me in the form of the Holy Spirit.  And I believe that one day I will join Him in eternal life.  That’s my choice.  I believe.

There are many different opinions about who Jesus was.  Even when He was alive He was controversial and people had varying opinions.  Some listened to Him, saw Him perform miracles, and chose not to believe.  Others, never having met Him, chose to believe He was the Son of God.  And some were swayed one way or the other by popular opinion, or the influence of religious leaders.

I think of the Roman soldier who watched Jesus as he died an excruciating death by crucifixion.  I wonder what he saw in Jesus' death that made him exclaim “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39; Matthew 27:54)

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Where are you on your faith journey?  Have you answered the question, “What will you do with Jesus, the one called the Messiah?

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

The New Testament - Stuff I Never Knew

I have four weeks left in my New Testament Introduction course.  It’s scary how quickly it’s gone by, but I’m really enjoying it.  I thought I’d share a few interesting facts I picked up along the way. 

1.       Phylactery – You know when you read segments of scripture that say something like this, “fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads”?(Deuteronomy 11:18)

This wasn’t just a figure of speech.  Pious Jews actually wrote down scripture, mounted it in small cases and wore the cases on their foreheads or left arms.  This was called a phylactery.

2.       Apparently we’ve gone away from using the terms BC (before Christ) and AD (anno domini or after death) as designations when referring to calendar dates.  The terms BCE (before the Common Era) and CE (Common Era) are now used, at least in the world of academia, when referencing dates.

3.       I now know the difference between Pharisees and Sadducees.  Pharisees were based in rural areas and factored greatly in Jesus’ ministry in the Galilean region.  They were associated with the synagogues and were primarily teachers.  They focused on maintaining Israel’s relationship with God through strict obedience to the law and believed in resurrection of humans to life after death.

Sadducees were the upper class, mostly residing in Jerusalem, and were associated with the temple.  They were primarily priests and were committed to maintaining Israel’s relationship with God through the sacrificial system.  They did not believe in resurrection to life after death.  They were primarily responsible for the plot to have Jesus put to death.

 

About the only thing the Pharisees and Sadducees had in common was the fact that they both believed Jesus was a threat.

4.       The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible and is abbreviated as LXX.

5.       The letters from Paul in the New Testament are arranged from longest to shortest.

6.       An amanuensis was a secretary or scribe who was trained in letter writing.  Most people in the Roman Empire were illiterate so the process of letter writing generally was designated to someone skilled in that area – an amanuensis.

7.       There are four different “Herod’s” in the New Testament:

Herod The Great – ruled all of Palestine on behalf of Rome and was in power when Jesus was born.

Herod Antipas – Herod the Great’s son - ruled the territories of Perea and Galilee.  Was in power during the time of Jesus’ ministry and death.  Had John the Baptist beheaded.

Herod Agrippa I – ruled Judea and Samaria.  He is the Herod mentioned in Acts 12 that persecutes the believers and kills the apostle James. 

Herod Agrippa II – The last ruler of the Herodian dynasty.  Paul appears before him as a prisoner in Act 25.

8.       I now know what eschatology means – the study of “last things” like the return of Christ, the final judgment, and other things associated with the end times.  I’d heard the word used, but didn’t know what it meant.

9.       I didn’t know all the gospels were anonymous documents.  We are able to track back through historical documents to support various authorship of each gospel, but the original documents were anonymous.

This is probably not new information for some you and I’m sure you’re wondering if I’ve been living under a rock.  When it comes to historical knowledge, yes, I have been living under a rock.  But I’m loving learning all this information and getting a better understanding of the New Testament.

 

Things To Think About

Is there something in the bible you've been wondering about?  Ask your pastor to help you figure it out.

Important Components of Christ-Centered Ministry

Last week I handed in an essay for my New Testament Introduction course.  The purpose of the essay was to identify key components of Paul’s ministry, based on his writings in the New Testament, and discuss what components are necessary for someone in ministry today.

 

I thought it was a great assignment, so I’m sharing the summary list I came up with in my essay.

 

1.      Paul views himself as an “apostle of Christ” (Rom 1:1, 1 Cor 1:1, 2 Cor 1:1) who is called to preach the gospel.  In his mind he has no choice BUT to preach the gospel.

 

2.      It is Christ who does the work, not Paul.  Paul realizes the weaker he is, the more he must rely on Christ to accomplish the mission.  “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong. “  (2 Cor 12:9-10)

3.      Paul feels it is his responsibility to provide ongoing pastoral support to the churches he plants.  He encourages, supports, corrects, and guides them in their Christian journey.  He’s not afraid to speak boldly and truthfully to ensure his converts follow Christ faithfully.

4.      Prayer is a vital part of Paul’s ministry.  Paul prays for the churches and for the spread of the gospel.

 

5.      He leads by example, demonstrating solid faith in salvation through Jesus Christ.  Paul wants to be a role-model for the churches he plants and strives to live faithfully in Christ.

So what’s important for ministry today? 

In order to hang in there and echo Paul’s sentiments, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim 4:7) a sense of divine call or appointment is crucial.  Without the deep-rooted sense that there is nothing else God has called one to, it becomes very easy to leave ministry when things become challenging.

Prayer is essential.  Without a continuous connection to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit, ministry is doomed.  How can a ministry be Spirit led if no one listens to the Spirit?

I’m always amazed by the guts Paul shows in writing his letters.  He doesn’t sugar coat his message.  If he was sending an email the entire body of some of these epistles would be all caps and bolded!  He rants, he raves, he exhorts, he uses sarcasm, and I’m fairly sure he yells in some parts.  He speaks the truth for the good of his congregation.  And he does it because he loves them and genuinely wants what is best for them.

Oh that I could be as courageous as Paul!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

What do you think is important for someone in ministry today?  Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Pure Flix - Do You Believe? - Movie Thoughts

A year ago Pure Flix Entertainment released their movie “God’s Not Dead”; a hit among

Christian movie goers.  This weekend their new movie, “Do You Believe” hits movie screens across Canada and the U.S.

I attended a pre-screening sponsored by 105.9 ShineFM in Edmonton and highly recommend you put this movie on your “must see” list.

Gun fights, car crashes, tear jerking moments, family strife, action, drama; this movie has it all.  Not once did I think, “This is two hours of my life I’ll never get back.”  Trust me there are lots of movies out there where that’s about all I can say about them, but “Do You Believe” isn’t one of them!

“Do You Believe” challenges you to answer real questions.  Do you believe in Jesus Christ?  Do you believe in the power of His death and resurrection?  Do you trust Him for your salvation?

One bit of dialogue stayed with me long after we’d left the theatre.  A first responder leads a dying man to Christ, giving him a small wooden cross.  The cross becomes “exhibit A” in a lawsuit the man’s wife files against the first responder. 

He must make a decision…does he stand up for his belief, or deny his faith to gain the backing of his union.  The prosecuting attorney looks him in the eye and speaks these words, “This cross is gonna cost you.”

“This cross is gonna cost you.”  How true!  Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee a life exempt from pain, sorrow, anguish, heartache, and illness.  Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”  (Matthew 15:24-25 NIV)

The cross will cost you.  The cross will challenge you. 
The cross will save you!

Do you believe?  And if you do…what are you doing about it?

Check out the “Do You Believe” movie trailer and don’t miss this faith challenging movie opening this weekend.

Worship

A couple of weekends ago I attended the Breakforth Conference in Edmonton.  Grace Revolution, a band from Calgary, was leading worship.   We sang a number of songs before they led us in the Revelation Song. 

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was and is and is to come
With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings
You are my everything and I will adore You”

The crowd, already energized by corporate worship, came alive.  I looked around, taking in the moment; the band focused not on entertaining but intent on genuine worship, hundreds of people arms stretched out to God, spot lights shining like rays of coloured sunshine, and brilliant white lights beaming down.  The Spirit was like a tangible thing that filled the air, bounced off the walls, and settled on the crowd.

David Nasser reminded us that as amazing as this worship experience might be, it can’t come close to worship in Heaven.  The book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, paints a picture of what worship in Heaven is like. 

“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.  They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.  In a loud voice they were saying:  ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!”  Revelation 5:11-13 (NIV)

Imagine!  Take the most amazing worship experience you’ve ever had.  Add to that, the voices of ten thousand times ten thousand angels joined together in a chorus of, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty...”  Revelation 4:8

Close your eyes and hold that amazing image in surround sound; angels voices singing praises to our God, radiant light, vibrant colour, overwhelming joy, blessed peace.  All for the worship of God.

Listen to the Revelation Song now.  Then worship the Lord Almighty.

We're Just Not That Important

Sometimes your health smacks you upside the head and there’s nothing you can do about it.  I had a recent bout with a nasty case of the flu.  I was convinced I was coughing up a lung, had no energy, and just wanted to lie in bed watching old episodes of That 70’s Show. 

I know at least three other people who have recently had health challenges too, forcing them to change their daily activities. 

Annoying, frustrating, irritating, inconvenient….all of these words describe this situation.

But here’s a news flash…life doesn’t stop just because we’re not in the office, or seeing customers, or writing our blogs, or cooking meals for our families.

Apparently we’re not as important as we think we are!

I suppose a reality check is a good thing every now and then.  It keeps us humble.  Believe it or not people from my sales team don’t stop selling radio advertising just because I’m not there to oversee them.  I really am dispensable. 

Which leads me to ask the question, where do I get my self-worth?  Do I need to think I’m an indispensable part of the company in order to feel good about myself?  Does my role as Sales Manager define me as a person?

Fortunately, I’m happy to answer, “No” to that question.  My self-concept isn’t wrapped up with what I do for a living, where I work, or how much I get paid.

Over the course of a week I wear a bunch of different hats depending on who I’m with and what I’m doing…

Wife, step-mother, sales manager, landlord, blogger, speaker, student, trainer, sister, friend, aunt, cat grandma, step daughter, boss...

Yes, I’m all those things and they all define who I am as a person.  But the most important role that defines me is being a child of God. 

Being a child of God defines who I am, how I act, and the words I speak.  Being a child of God is really all I need.  I am loved by a forgiving, all powerful, amazing God…and that’s enough.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

Have you been limited by health or life issues recently?  Where do you get your self-worth?  What defines who you are as a person?

Share your thoughts by clicking the link below.

Christmas Is Here

Candles flicker in the nativity scene.  Coloured lights twinkle in the dark.  Presents overflow their space under the tree.  Christmas is here.

John Lennon sings, “So this is Christmas.  And what have you done?”

What have I done to prepare for Christmas?  What have you done?

Christmas is a bit of a schizophrenic holiday.  There’s the busy cooking, baking, shopping, cleaning, make everything perfect, Santa’s coming personality of Christmas.  And there’s the Advent, slowing down, contemplating, preparing the way, and God with us side of Christmas.

Personally I don’t see anything wrong with a little bit of schizophrenia in the holiday season.  It’s only when the balance shifts to the busy, at the exclusion of God with us, that we have a problem.

December is our busiest time at work.  Not only do our clients want to get as much advertising as possible on the radio in December, but we also run our biggest promotion of the year as a station.  We work to bring Christmas Miracles to families in need of some love and help to make their Christmas season better.

By the time the week before Christmas rolls around we’re all pretty exhausted.  Late Monday afternoon another Manager came into my office. 

We were talking about how we were both looking forward to a rest over the Christmas season.  She made a comment about a book I had in my hand.  With a note of irony in my voice I shared what I’d just been reading from Ann Voskamp’s book, “The Greatest Gift”.

“The miscarriage of Christmas begins when anxieties crowd out space within simply to carry Christ.  Make room; be a womb.  Be a womb to receive Christ everywhere, and it is He who delivers everyone.  So you let the last of the trimmings go.  Cease the pace to do, buy, produce more.  Find the calendar and erase.  Somewhere make space.  And you can feel the space become a sanctuary.”

We looked at each other and laughed. 

“So this is Christmas.  And what have you done?”  Have you made space?  Do you have time to receive Christ as He comes silently tonight? 

Read the Christmas story starting with Luke chapter 1 and read to the end of verse 40 in Luke chapter 2.  Make space for Christ now.

Merry Christmas!

What Can I Do To Please God?

The first week of Advent is almost over.  Back on Monday I started reading Ann Voskamp’s book, “The Greatest Gift – Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas”.  It’s provides a reading for each day leading up to Christmas.

She includes scripture passages, some thought provoking reflection, and an activity for the day.  Yesterday’s activity was to do one thing just to please God.

I had to stop and think about that.  What could I do that would please God?  I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t have a good answer. 

I thought of Random Acts of Shineness.  On Wednesdays ShineFM, the radio station I work at, encourages people to do something kind and unexpected for someone; hence Random Acts of Shineness.  I could buy coffee for someone, but that seemed fairly unoriginal.

Walking into Walmart that morning to buy gifts cards for client Christmas gifts I thought, “Here’s my chance.  Maybe I can do something that will please God here.” 

I took all 65 gift cards (yes that’s 65 cards that have to be activated individually) to the cashier.  She began to ring them up and I felt sorry for her and the people waiting behind me.  What would please God in this situation?

“Give her one of the gift cards,” my brain said. 

Now it’s funny how we automatically question something that’s out of the ordinary.  “What, give her one of the gift cards?  That’s a little weird, and it throws my count off, what if she gets in trouble for it?”

But the thought persisted, so after she processed the last card, I thanked her for her trouble, took one of the cards, and tried to give it to her.  She refused, saying she was just doing her job. 

Well that attempt crashed and burned.  So, what else can I do that will please God? 

I stopped at Tim Hortons to pick up a Take 10 coffee box for my next meeting.  Another thought occurred to me.  When I paid for the coffee I asked the cashier to ring through six $5.00 gift cards.  After paying, I handed him back the cards.  He looked confused, but then I explained that one was for him to keep and the others were for the next few people in line.

This attempt went a little better.  He declined the one for himself, but asked if he could save them until the next morning.  He said he had regulars who came in and he’d like to treat them to a morning coffee.  We agreed this would put them to good use and off I went.

Did that please God?  Maybe, but I think it was more of a “Random Act of Shineness” than a God pleasing moment. 

I have to face the fact that most days I don’t think about whether my daily activities are pleasing to God.  Usually I’m caught up in the busyness of daily life and don’t take time to do the small acts of kindness that show God’s love.  Sometimes it takes a wake-up call like the simple question, “What can I do to please God?” to bring me to my senses and start paying attention.

I’m glad yesterday’s devotion made me think about this question. Because of it, I’m now more aware of the people around me during this Advent season and I’m looking for ways I can please God.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

What do you do on a daily basis that pleases God? 

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Tasteless Grapes

It’s hard to buy good fruit in winter in Alberta.  Our -20° Celsius weather isn’t conducive to growth of any kind of fruit or vegetable!

Over the last few weeks I’ve been fortunate enough to find some nice tasty grapes in Superstore.  This week, expecting consistent grape quality, I bought another package. 

Apparently it’s no longer grape season wherever these were grown.  I’ve had sweet grapes, sour grapes, crunchy grapes, squishy grapes, seedless grapes, and even monster grapes, but I’ve never quite tasted grapes like these.

They were completely tasteless.  I can’t even say they qualified as bland or bad, just completely void of flavor.

If you know me at all, you’ll know I’m…well what’s the word?  Let’s call it thrifty.  If I’ve paid for food I’m not about to throw it out. I’ll stuff it down whether I like it or not.  But I just couldn’t do it with these grapes.

I tried.  I munched down a few, trying to convince myself they didn’t really taste bad.  I was still getting nutrition and fiber from them, but my taste buds grew more outraged with every grape I put in my mouth.

I tried to figure out why flavorless grapes were so offensive, and then it occurred to me - all food has a taste.  It might be good or it might be bad, or even mediocre, but it all tastes like something.  As I was pondering this thought, a statement from Jesus popped into my mind.

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again?   It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”  Matthew 5:13 (NIV)

And what about this one…

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV)

I’m not sure I truly appreciated the meaning behind these verses until I had my tasteless grape experience.  I actually did want to spit them out of my mouth!  How can salt not be salty?  How can grapes not be…well…grapey? 

And continuing with the analogy, what good are Christians if we’re not leading Christ-like lives.  If we’re neutral about our faith what kind of witness are we?  If we’re not passionate about shining the light of Christ, but simply come across as blasé about our faith, what good are we in the world?

Grapes should taste like grapes.  Salt should taste like salt.  Christians should strive to be like Christ, not only in their churches, but in their homes and communities, too.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

What does your life say about your faith?  Are you living out your Christianity or are you a tasteless grape?

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Saul's Leadership Lesson - What Not To Do - Lesson #4

We left Saul last week as he was about to lead his army into battle against the Philistines.  His army is successful and the Philistines flee.  The Israelite army pursues the Philistines, determined to drive them back.

Here’s the unexpected twist.  Saul decrees that his entire army is to fast until victory over the Philistines is complete.  Everyone except Saul’s son, Jonathan, knows about this.  Empty stomachs and the physical labour of battle don’t mix well.  By evening the men are weak and tired.

Ironically the army comes across food in the forest, but refuses to touch it because of Saul’s order.  Jonathan, not knowing any better, eats his fill and is refreshed. 

Later that evening Saul wants to continue to chase the Philistines, but the priest intervenes telling Saul to ask God what to do next.  Saul agrees, but no answer comes from God.  Saul suspects sin in the army is the reason God isn’t answering.

He gathers all his army leaders and demands to know what’s happened.

“Then Saul said to the leaders, ‘Something’s wrong!  I want all my army commanders to come here.  We must find out what sin was committed today.  I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!’  But no one would tell him what the trouble was.”   1 Samuel 14:38-40

Isn’t it interesting...not one of Saul’s leaders has the courage to speak up and tell him the guilty party is his own son? 

I suspect no one speaks up because someone had the misfortune of speaking truth to Saul before and it didn’t go well.  Perhaps Saul subscribes to the “shoot the messenger” theory…literally.

Saul doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who’s open to suggestions from the people, but as a leader it’s important to maintain an open dialogue with your staff.  Team members should feel comfortable making suggestions that will improve the work place.

Saul’s Leadership Lesson #4

Stay humble and open enough that your leadership team and staff are comfortable bringing ideas to you.  Keep an open dialogue between you and your staff.

Saul's Leadership Lesson - What Not To Do - Lesson #3

The last few weeks we’ve looked at Saul and what NOT to do when you’re in a leadership position. 

We ended last week with these heartbreaking words from Samuel, the prophet, “…But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart.  The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of the people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”  1 Samuel 13:14 (NLT)

The Bible doesn’t tell us how Saul reacts to this revelation.  I wonder if he really grasps the implications of Samuel’s words.  Does he understand that God has left him? Does he have any concept of how that affects his future?  It’s a chilling thought!

Regardless, we catch up with Saul again in 1 Samuel 14.  He and the 600 men remaining in his army are camped close to the Philistine troops.  I’m guessing they’re probably demoralized and pretty scared right now.

But Jonathan, Saul’s son, decides to take action.   With God’s help, he succeeds in throwing the Philistine camp into confusion.  Saul’s army witnesses a bizarre sight.  There’s an earthquake, Philistines are running in all directions, and mayhem reigns. 

Saul realizes Jonathan is gone, and is probably the cause of the confusion in the Philistine camp.  Excited Saul calls for the priest, no doubt to determine God’s will in the matter.  Should he attack?

Before the priest can go through the ritual for determining God’s will, the confusion in the enemy camp rises to frenzied proportions.  Saul can barely contain himself.  Read his next words carefully.

“…But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder.  So Saul said to the priest, ‘Never mind; let’s get going!’”  1 Samuel 14:19

NEVER MIND, LET’S GET GOING!  Yes, you heard right!  Rather than wait for the priest to determine God’s will Saul says, “Never mind, let’s get going!”  In other words, I don’t have time to wait for God.  I don’t need His help.  I’ve got this one covered.

Right now I’m shaking my head, thinking, “Dude…really…you just couldn’t wait!?! 

But what I hypocrite I am!  I do the same thing all the time!

How often have you rushed into a situation without consulting God?  How many times have you tried to do things in your own strength, leaving God out of the picture?

Saul’s Leadership Lesson #3…

In your leadership role or in any decision you make…always take time to consult God.

Getting It Right

There’s so much good stuff in the Old Testament.  There are lots of examples of what to do and how to do it right, but the ones I learn from best are the examples that illustrate what NOT to do!

Look at Abraham and David.  Both are held up as great men of God.  It seems almost impossible to live up to their examples.

But here’s the beauty of the Bible.  It’s not all about people’s success stories.  The Bible also shares the short comings of both Abraham and David.  And then there’s the account of Saul’s life; riddled with failure to remain in the perfect will of God. 

When I read these stories, I realize Abraham and David and Saul are just people.  People like me and you; trying to do their best to follow God’s leading.

Sometimes they do a fantastic job, and other times they fail dismally. 

But, they’re always wise enough to know when they fail, they need to come to God, own their short comings, confess them, ask for forgiveness, and receive it.   

We’re no different.  It’s only considered failure if we don’t come back to God, re-group, own our mistakes, ask forgiveness from God and the people we’ve wronged, and set out in faith to get it right the next time.

I really do feel for Saul in his role as a leader.  Over the next four weeks I want to look at four lessons in leadership we can learn from two chapters about Saul’s life in the book of 1 Samuel.

As a means of introduction to the next four posts I want to consider the following…

I’m fairly certain Saul suffers from insecurity.  This becomes evident early on in his role as king; as early as his coronation.  Samuel, the prophet, introduces Saul as the first ever human king of Israel. 

The rank and file of the tribes of Israel are called, leading up to the big moment of Saul’s introduction.  But where is he? 

“So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.  Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen.  And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them.  But when they looked for him, he had disappeared!  So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”  And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.”  1 Samuel 10:20-22 (NLT)

Starting a new job is intimidating.  I imagine being crowned the leader of God’s chosen people is a fairly scary prospect.  Scary enough that Saul cowers in fear among the baggage at the thought. 

Saul has his work cut out for him, but God is on his side…until Saul lets his insecurity and pride override his trust in God. 

We’ll look closer at the dangers of an insecure, pride-filled leader next week.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

When you fail in your walk with God do you immediately return to Him to seek forgiveness or do you wallow in guilt, beating yourself up over your failure?

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.

Solid and Permanent

I’m blessed to live in a province that’s home to some of the most awe inspiring natural vistas in the world.  The Rocky Mountains.  Spiked grey crags and snow-capped peaks blaze stark and bright against a cloudless blue sky.

I gaze in wonder.  These are my friends.  Their familiar shapes welcome me.  Visit after visit, year after year they don’t disappoint.  They don’t change, they’re always there, ready to amaze and inspire, beckoning me closer to God, the Creator.

I wonder if the psalmist who wrote psalm 121 felt the same way about mountains.  He starts out by saying,

“I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”

I look at the mountains and I can’t help but think of God.  His handy work is everywhere. 

In the brush strokes of wild flowers blooming in a mountain meadow.

In the roar of a cascading waterfall.

In the stillness of an emerald lake

In the majestic permanence of rock

In the whimsical flip of chipmunk's tail

 

In the liquid brown gentleness of an elk’s gaze.

 

I could go on, but I think you get the point.  God is everywhere.  And in the midst of it all, God is with you, watching over you.  Read Psalm 121…

“I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.  Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.

The Lord Himself watches over you!  The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.  The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.”

Psalm 121 (NLT)

What an awesome thought!  Even more impressive than the mountains is God, Himself; watching over you.  Caring for you in your time of stress, of illness, of financial difficulty - whatever your trouble, God watches over you.

You can sleep soundly, knowing God doesn’t rest.  He’s always there, solid and permanent.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What are you worried about today?  Trust God to watch over you.

Share your thoughts by clicking on “comments” below.