The Elusiveness of Joy!

Over the years of my pastoral journey I ministered to many people who seemed to be chasing the experience of joy in their lives. These individuals were raised in church, had committed their lives to Christ, and had walked out their faith journey for many years. But due to life in general, critical events in their lives and often times facing a plethora of tragedies, joy became the elusive anchor for them. This intrigued me and I wanted to really help these precious sheep that were hurting. When praying about a direction to go with these folks the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NASB)

I read it several times when I began to see what I believe the Holy Spirit really wanted me to see. The passage is so incredibly amazing. It is such a powerful expression of the model that Jesus himself has given us to deal with what may seem to be the absence of joy in our life.

To start with, let’s break down some of the words that is used in this passage.

JOY
Thayer Bible Dictionary Definition of JOY:
1) to rejoice, be glad
2) to rejoice exceedingly
3) to be well, thrive

The phrase “SET BEFORE” means:
Thayer Bible Dictionary:
1) to lie or be placed before (a person or a thing) or in front of
2) to set before
2a) to be placed before the eyes, to lie in sight

The idea here is that joy is an experience that can be resident in our lives for sure but it also means something “laid down” in front of us. Something that is “before” us. Sometimes we get a bit confused in that we want a continual sense of joy (which understood scripturally is possible) when there are times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3) that we will have to chase our joy. We will have to pursue it. It’s out front of us. At a particular season in the life of Jesus, He chased joy! It was “set before him.” He had to endure a season of pain, discomfort, death, confusion, etc to reach the joy that was on his “faith horizon.” The writer of Hebrews gives us this insight to faith, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). In my simple way of interpreting this passage, it means that faith is like chasing the horizon. It’s ever moving in front of us. We can see a manifestation of something “out front” of us but only if we stay in forward motion.
Sometimes we have to “see” the “unseen” sense of joy. It has to be a conviction. It has to be an assurance that we will not give up or trade for anything else.

Chasing joy is often equal to what I call “chasing the faith horizon.” The horizon is “set before us.” It is constantly moving. We can’t see what is beyond the horizon. We have faith that what is beyond the horizon is blessings, challenges, trials, and every now and then, a sense of loss of joy. We want the manifestation and the solid experience of joy, but it isn’t coming easy for us.

Faith Never Uses Park – It Stay in Drive!

But faith never gives up! Faith declares the righteous unseen hand of God that is staging His manifest will for our lives…just beyond the horizon! If we put our life in “park” we will miss what God has in store for us. If we stay in “drive” we will meet joy on our faith journey. We stay focused on the horizon because that’s where our future comes from. Jesus teaches us this in the above passage! The narrative given us by Truth Himself is that there are times in our lives where we have to pursue joy! You can’t look joy up on Amazon and have it shipped to your house. You have to intentionally go after it. When depression, darkness, discouragement, doubt, unanswered questions, and oppression, stare you in the face, we have to chase the joy “set before us.” To find joy we have to oftentimes pursue joy!

Pastoral Advice from the Past!

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” (James 2:14-22, NASB)

I coined a phrase when I was pastoring. It was simply, “forward motion faith.” I challenge you to stay in forward motion faith! Why? Because you have three choices when it comes to faith. First, you can have no faith. You can live a life without Jesus being a part of your life as Savior and Lord! Hell awaits you as a permanent place of the absence of joy. Second, you can have faith that collaborates with works (James 2:22). Third, you can have dead faith (James 2:17). Lifeless faith. Fruitless faith. Faith without works. Faith without movement. Faith that sits in “park!” That which is dead is not moving. I don’t want to have a funeral for my faith! I don’t want to stare down at a casket that has my faith enshrined in it. I want a faith that is full of life, moving faith, forward motion faith. I want a faith that works hand in hand with my works. By my works will my faith be proven!

Dead Faith Pew Monitors!
Sunday after Sunday we have folks who sit in our pews and practice a relationship with the church but not with Jesus! How do I know? I watched it play out in front of me for over forty years of pastoring. The play the role but their faith is dead. They have a “lifeless confession” of faith. It is academic and intellectual but it is not spiritual. Their heart is absent of true faith that chases the joy that is oftentimes “set before us.” I remember a parent saying to me sometime back in relationship to their children: “We raised them to have a relationship with the church but not with Jesus!” How sad! I hate to admit it but this may be part of the problem with the absence of joy in so many church attenders. They become disappointed, disillusioned, hurt, confused and simply let down by the church and or its leadership. Joy becomes contingent on human leadership instead of the Lordship of Christ. My joy is in Jesus! Our joy is in Jesus! People will let you down but He will never let you down!

Trust me! I want you to experience the joy of Jesus in your life. I want you to know Him in a way that so disciplines your faith that when you have those joyless seasons, and all of us will, you can look the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) in the face and say, “Not today Satan! Not today!” Keep your faith in “drive” and don’t let the enemy fool you into putting in “park” for any length of time!

Pastor James did a powerful job defining this for us. I can only hope that we realize that joy is an experience that can “seasonally” be set before us. The idea that our faith walk is a walk through the land of Twinkies and the Dairy Queen is a false narrative. It is a strong delusion that can keep us discouraged and depressed. Don’t fall for it. Chase joy! Jesus did! How much more should we follow His pattern of living? His pattern of living to go after joy! He chased joy! He has a season of pain and struggled with His Father’s will for his life! But he chased the joy set before him.

Chase joy! I dare you to!

Read these scriptures for added instruction and encouragement!

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:17-19, NASB)

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NASB)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22, NASB)

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3, NASB)

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” (Jude 1:24, NASB)

Be blessed in your pursuit of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!

The Elusiveness of Joy!

Over the years of my pastoral journey I ministered to many people who seemed to be chasing the experience of joy in their lives. These individuals were raised in church, had committed their lives to Christ, and had walked out their faith journey for many years. But due to life in general, critical events in their lives and often times facing a plethora of tragedies, joy became the elusive anchor for them. This intrigued me and I wanted to really help these precious sheep that were hurting. When praying about a direction to go with these folks the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NASB)

I read it several times when I began to see what I believe the Holy Spirit really wanted me to see. The passage is so incredibly amazing. It is such a powerful expression of the model that Jesus himself has given us to deal with what may seem to be the absence of joy in our life.

To start with, let’s break down some of the words that is used in this passage.

JOY
Thayer Bible Dictionary Definition of JOY:
1) to rejoice, be glad
2) to rejoice exceedingly
3) to be well, thrive

The phrase “SET BEFORE” means:
Thayer Bible Dictionary:
1) to lie or be placed before (a person or a thing) or in front of
2) to set before
2a) to be placed before the eyes, to lie in sight

The idea here is that joy is an experience that can be resident in our lives for sure but it also means something “laid down” in front of us. Something that is “before” us. Sometimes we get a bit confused in that we want a continual sense of joy (which understood scripturally is possible) when there are times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3) that we will have to chase our joy. We will have to pursue it. It’s out front of us. At a particular season in the life of Jesus, He chased joy! It was “set before him.” He had to endure a season of pain, discomfort, death, confusion, etc to reach the joy that was on his “faith horizon.” The writer of Hebrews gives us this insight to faith, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). In my simple way of interpreting this passage, it means that faith is like chasing the horizon. It’s ever moving in front of us. We can see a manifestation of something “out front” of us but only if we stay in forward motion.
Sometimes we have to “see” the “unseen” sense of joy. It has to be a conviction. It has to be an assurance that we will not give up or trade for anything else.

Chasing joy is often equal to what I call “chasing the faith horizon.” The horizon is “set before us.” It is constantly moving. We can’t see what is beyond the horizon. We have faith that what is beyond the horizon is blessings, challenges, trials, and every now and then, a sense of loss of joy. We want the manifestation and the solid experience of joy, but it isn’t coming easy for us.

Faith Never Uses Park – It Stay in Drive!

But faith never gives up! Faith declares the righteous unseen hand of God that is staging His manifest will for our lives…just beyond the horizon! If we put our life in “park” we will miss what God has in store for us. If we stay in “drive” we will meet joy on our faith journey. We stay focused on the horizon because that’s where our future comes from. Jesus teaches us this in the above passage! The narrative given us by Truth Himself is that there are times in our lives where we have to pursue joy! You can’t look joy up on Amazon and have it shipped to your house. You have to intentionally go after it. When depression, darkness, discouragement, doubt, unanswered questions, and oppression, stare you in the face, we have to chase the joy “set before us.” To find joy we have to oftentimes pursue joy!

Pastoral Advice from the Past!

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” (James 2:14-22, NASB)

I coined a phrase when I was pastoring. It was simply, “forward motion faith.” I challenge you to stay in forward motion faith! Why? Because you have three choices when it comes to faith. First, you can have no faith. You can live a life without Jesus being a part of your life as Savior and Lord! Hell awaits you as a permanent place of the absence of joy. Second, you can have faith that collaborates with works (James 2:22). Third, you can have dead faith (James 2:17). Lifeless faith. Fruitless faith. Faith without works. Faith without movement. Faith that sits in “park!” That which is dead is not moving. I don’t want to have a funeral for my faith! I don’t want to stare down at a casket that has my faith enshrined in it. I want a faith that is full of life, moving faith, forward motion faith. I want a faith that works hand in hand with my works. By my works will my faith be proven!

Dead Faith Pew Monitors!
Sunday after Sunday we have folks who sit in our pews and practice a relationship with the church but not with Jesus! How do I know? I watched it play out in front of me for over forty years of pastoring. The play the role but their faith is dead. They have a “lifeless confession” of faith. It is academic and intellectual but it is not spiritual. Their heart is absent of true faith that chases the joy that is oftentimes “set before us.” I remember a parent saying to me sometime back in relationship to their children: “We raised them to have a relationship with the church but not with Jesus!” How sad! I hate to admit it but this may be part of the problem with the absence of joy in so many church attenders. They become disappointed, disillusioned, hurt, confused and simply let down by the church and or its leadership. Joy becomes contingent on human leadership instead of the Lordship of Christ. My joy is in Jesus! Our joy is in Jesus! People will let you down but He will never let you down!

Trust me! I want you to experience the joy of Jesus in your life. I want you to know Him in a way that so disciplines your faith that when you have those joyless seasons, and all of us will, you can look the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) in the face and say, “Not today Satan! Not today!” Keep your faith in “drive” and don’t let the enemy fool you into putting in “park” for any length of time!

Pastor James did a powerful job defining this for us. I can only hope that we realize that joy is an experience that can “seasonally” be set before us. The idea that our faith walk is a walk through the land of Twinkies and the Dairy Queen is a false narrative. It is a strong delusion that can keep us discouraged and depressed. Don’t fall for it. Chase joy! Jesus did! How much more should we follow His pattern of living? His pattern of living to go after joy! He chased joy! He has a season of pain and struggled with His Father’s will for his life! But he chased the joy set before him.

Chase joy! I dare you to!

Read these scriptures for added instruction and encouragement!

“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:17-19, NASB)

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NASB)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22, NASB)

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3, NASB)

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” (Jude 1:24, NASB)

Chasing Joy!

The Absence of Joy!

Over the past forty plus years of pastoring God’s people, the opportunity to sit with a folks who had seemingly lost the joy of their salvation has been countless. These individuals were often raised in churches dotted all over the land, They had committed their life to Christ, and had walked in faith for many years, but ran into an immovable wall of a joyless relationship with Jesus. In their life journey they seemd to discover a missing link in their joy experience. As a pastor I sincerely wanted to help them but didn’t know where to start. I remember praying about a direction to go with these individuals the when the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NASB)

I read this passage several times when I began to see what I believe the Holy Spirit really wanted me to see. The passage is so incredibly helpful. It is such a powerful expression of the model that Jesus himself has given us to deal with may seem to be the absence of joy in our life.

To start with, let’s break down some of the words that is used in this passage.

JOY
Thayer Bible Dictionary Definition of JOY:
1) to rejoice, be glad
2) to rejoice exceedingly
3) to be well, thrive

The phrase “SET BEFORE” means:
Thayer Bible Dictionary:
1) to lie or be placed before (a person or a thing) or in front of
2) to set before
2a) to be placed before the eyes, to lie in sight
2a1) to stand forth
2b) to be appointed, destined

The idea here is that joy is an experience that can be present for sure but it also means something laid down in front of us. Something that is “before” us. Sometimes we get a bit confused in that we want a continual, uninterrupted sense of joy when there are times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3) that we will have to chase our joy. At a particular season in the life of Jesus, He chased joy! It was “set before him.” He had to endure a season of pain, discomfort, death, confusion, etc. to reach the joy that was on his “faith horizon.”

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB)
Sometimes we have to “see” the “unseen” power and presence of joy. It has to be a conviction. It has to be an assurance that we will not give up on! It has to be a present hope! It must be a resident fact that is “unseen”!

Chasing joy is often equal to what I call “chasing the faith horizon.” The horizon is “set before us.” It is constantly moving. We can’t see what is beyond the horizon. We have faith that what is beyond the horizon is blessings, challenges, trials, and every now and then, a sense of loss of joy that is waiting on its appointed time of manifestation.

But faith never gives up! Faith declares the righteous unseen hand of God that is staging His manifest will for our lives…just beyond the horizon! We stay focused on the horizon because that’s where our future comes from. Jesus teaches us this in the above passage! The narrative given us by Truth Himself is that there are times in our lives where we have to pursue joy! You can’t look joy up on Amazon and have it shipped to your house. You have to intentionally go after it. When depression, darkness, discouragement, and oppression stare you in the face, we have to chase the joy “set before us.”

Let’s see what a New Testament pastor has to say about it!
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” (James 2:14-22, NASB)

I coined a phrase during my pastoring journey. It was simply, “forward motion faith.” Let’s stay in forward motion faith! Why? Because you have three choices when it comes to faith. First, you can have no faith. You can live a life without Jesus being your Lord and Savior. If you choose this route then Hell awaits you as a permanent place of the absence of joy. Your choice! Second, you can have faith that collaborates with works (James 2:22). This is the level of faith I want to chase in my life. I want people to see my faith by my works! My works isn’t my faith. My faith only testify’s of my faith. Third, you can have dead faith (James 2:17). Lifeless faith. Fruitless faith. Faith without works. Faith without movement. That which is dead is not moving. I don’t want to have a funeral for my faith! I don’t want to stare down at a casket that has my faith enshrined in it. I want a faith that is full of life, moving faith, forward motion faith. I want a faith that works hand in hand with my works. By my works will my faith be proven!

Dead Faith Pew Monitors!
Sunday after Sunday we have folks who sit in our pews and practice a relationship with the church but not with Jesus! How do I know? I watched it play out in front of me for over forty years of pastoring. The play the role but their faith is dead. They have a “lifeless confession” of faith. It is academic and intellectual but it is not spiritual. Their heart is absent of true faith that chases the joy that is oftentimes “set before us.” Their lives are absent of holiness and righteousness that glorifies Christ. They oftentimes with great fervor chase the things of the world more than they do the King and His kingdom!

Trust me…I want you to experience the joy of Jesus in your life. I want you to know Him in a way that so disciplines your faith that when you have those joyless seasons you can look the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) in the face and say, “Not today Satan! Not today!”

Pastor James did a powerful job defining this for us. I can only hope that we realize that joy is an experience that can “seasonally” be set before us. The idea that our faith walk is a walk through the land of Twinkies and the Dairy Queen is a false narrative. It is a strong delusion that can keep us discouraged and depressed. Don’t fall for it. Chase joy! Jesus did! How much more should we follow His pattern of living? His pattern of living to go after joy! He chased joy! He has a season of pain and struggled with His Father’s will for his life! But he chased the joy set before him.

Chase joy! I dare you to!

The Call for Church Security

Not a Flesh and Blood Battle! 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10-20, NASB)

You have read this passage so many times.  It is very familiar to most who are in the faith community. But please understand that familiarity can be the seed for slothfulness or it can be the seed for preparedness.  The choice is ours.  I am reminded of several points for you to muse throughout your day.

  • There is a dark force of spiritual confrontation that we must be aware of…at all times.
  • This passage, I believe, is a call for the faith community to be aware of just how intent the enemy is at disrupting what the church is doing to win the lost to the kingdom of God. While it can teach us a great deal about our individual battles with darkness, it can also serve as a very detailed structure for corporate or congregational security.
  • Sunday’s and special events call us to a more present awareness for the sake of the sheep we guard and serve medically.
  • As security and medical personnel, it is imperative that you be a disciplined person of prayer.  Seriously!  This is not merely adapting to a “now I lay me down to sleep” type of rehearsed prayer.  This is a disciplined time of communication with God.  It is intentional and not simply casual. Without prayer you can manage your position through the flesh with eyes and ears. But with prayer you can be both in the flesh and spiritually aware of your surroundings because your spirit man is awakened and “present.”
    • “To put on the full armor of God” is more than holstering a weapon or carrying a medical backpack.  If you follow the passage above the end speaks to the beginning.  Here is what Paul emphasizes prayer as a key element or “weapon” in his call to arms. 
      “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may begiven to me in the opening of my mouth, to make knownwith boldness the mystery of the gospel…”.
    • This is a call to prayer for the saints at large and for those speaking, teaching, preaching, testifying that they be able to speak with boldness the gospel. The phrase, “all saints” is inclusive of the pastor preaching as well as the individual witnessing to someone in the altar or parking lot. It covers the security and medical teams. It covers the band and the praise and worship singers. It covers all the saints actively engaged in our worship services and or special events.
    • The boldness is a awakened fresh courage that allows us to speak freely about the power of salvation and deliverance to the lost.

I trust you read this over and over.  You can load up with all the weapons you might think you will need but without prayer you may find yourself shooting play darts into the darkness.

The call to stand firm was important.  Soldiers in Paul’s time wore boots or shoes with spikes in the bottom of them.  They would forcefully “plant” themselves into the ground to be “unmovable” in the time of battle.  This is a call to the ability to stand and fight against our enemies.  Not run.  Not hide.  Not excuse ourselves away from a soldiers responsibility.   But plant yourself firm and balanced.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, NASB)

  • The word “immovable” here in the Greek means 1) not to be moved from its place, unmoved  2) metaphorically firmly persistent
  • I like the statement above “not to be moved from its place”.  
  • This implies a fixed position of responsibility.   
  • This means you maintain your spiritual, physical and ecclesiastical responsibility.

When I pastored I had a simple rule of structure, oder and trust for my team.  The rule was this: be where you’re supposed to be, when you’re supposed to be there, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, and everything runs like a Rolex watch.   If you take security and safety with a casual sense of responsibility then you will casually serve.  You will not fulfill the mandate above. Churches need security and medical teams who are “planted” in their position. They need to “fix” themselves in a position of serving, take it seriously, and be where you’re supposed to be. Simple. Just so simple…but yet we can screw this up so quickly by not taking our responsibility seriously. Let me ask you a question.  Would you want someone charged with the responsibility of securing your family to do so with a casual attitude?  I rest my case.

I am so proud of my home church security and medical team.  They are told repeatedly that each of them is important to the King and His kingdom.  They are trained, equipped and ready to serve. That’s why we have to take our assigned task at hand with intentional awareness of the constant presence of evil. It’s out there.  It hates you.  It hates me.  There is an elevated spirit of evil that hates the church/sheep we are charged to secure.  Let’s be aware of it. Let’s be “present” when we serve.

One More Lesson

“Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” (Exodus 17:8-13, NASB)

Again, this is story you are familiar with.  Moses was tired and aged.  In one particular battle he was engaged in, as long as he held his hands up, his team was winning.  But as he tired and his hands fell to his side, the enemy gained ground.  So Aaron and Hur ran to his side.  They placed a rock under him so he could sit down.  In other words they “cushioned” him so he could serve with a fresh awareness of the battle at hand. They held his arms up and eventually the battle, fought under the direction of Joshua, was won.  

The point to make here is that there was a spiritual battle and a physical battle going on here.  The physical battle was on the ground with Joshua attempting to win it.  It was real.  Trust me.  Lives were lost on both side in an on again, off again, war for victory.  But there was something abnormal about the battle.  It’s as if God was sending us a spiritual lesson. A “general”, a leader, was weary and tired.  This seemed to be a supernatural issue for Israel to deal with.  Moses could’ve done several things to ensure victory.  He didn’t have to.  He didn’t make a plea.  He didn’t radio for assistance.  Aaron and Hur noticed what was going on.  They were “present” in a real time battle.  They acted responsively.   Here is a lesson to remember:

  • Aaron in Hebrew means “light bringer.”  He brought light to a dark place.  He brought illumination to a place and time that needed light.  When Aaron was where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing, when he was supposed to be doing it, he collaborated with Moses and Hur for a victory. No trophy was ordered. No certificate printed. He did what he was appointed to do.
  • Hur in Hebrew means “hole.”  He found a void, a hole that needed filled, a job that needed to be done, and he did it.  He didn’t have to be sought out, chased down, or encouraged to serve by the offering of a reward of sorts. He put his training to work and he did what had to be done. He served with victory in mind.
  • Neither one of these men had to be provoked externally.  They realized internally, or in their hearts, that something needed to be done, and they acted on their spiritual impulse, or nudge.

Security teams must work collaboratively.  It is imperative that we realize there are no “lone rangers” in church security. We need each other.  But not being “present” can cause harm to not just one, but possibly several people.  Being aware, being present, being spiritually sensitive to our surroundings is important.  

To all who serve on church security and medical teams, let me say “Thank you!” We need you! The church needs you! Together we can work to keep the sheep safe and the wolves at bay.

Blessings,

Pastor Tim

What Freddy the Frog and Jesus Taught Me About Conflict Resolution

I remember my first few days in seventh grade biology class. I wondered, as a kid moving into this new venture of long crowded hallways, a sea of students, and a plethora of teachers, called “junior high”, what in the world was happening in my life! It was a new day that offered a whole new culture of learning for me. Then came the frogs in biology class. Dead frogs! Yep! Right there in front of me, on a slab, lay what I named, “Freddy the Frog”. Next to lifeless Freddy was a surgical type knife, tweezers and some push pins. By the time I left class I had learned to stomach the insides of poor Freddy. I had just finished an amateur autopsy on Freddy. What a day! Many of you can remember the same type experience and the memory tattoo it left in your young mind.

I was reminded of this “dissection” class when I read a passage of scripture this week (don’t ask me why the class came to mind):
“The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”” (John 2:13-16, NASB)

Here is a simple break down of what Jesus did.

  1. He discovered a problem.
    Upon entering the temple He found “money changers” and “small business” personnel selling animals for sacrifice. Jesus discovered the presence of an issue that was a negative for temple function. It was anti-policy. This was a problem for Jesus because this was His Father’s house, which was intended to be a house of prayer. They had turned into a type of McDonalds fast food drive through for animal purchases and money exchange for use in the temple. They cheapened the process.
  2. He dissected the problem.
    A definition of dissect would indicate to separate and expose the several parts of something. While most dissection definitions lean to a scientific study, I’m going to use the word for what Jesus did. He dissected or separated out the issues at hand. “He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables” (John 2.14). His discovery lead to a dissection of what was troubling him, what was breaking the spiritual mores of Jewish faith and history. He carried a burden for His fathers house (2:17).
  3. He determined a course of action to resolve the issue.
    He took the time to determine what he should do about the wrong that was occurring. Verse fifteen states “he made a scourge of small cords”. He thought the thing through. He took the time to gather his thoughts and make a cat of nine tails! He braided the whip pieces together. He knew what he was going to do about the situation. He determined before entering the second time (first time he discovered what was wrong). He not only produced the means, the tools, to use to deal with the issue, he created the confidence to act. Maybe he took the time to calm down, think the thing through, count to ten. I am merely speculating since I wasn’t there. What I do see is the fact that Jesus didn’t react to what he discovered. Sometimes we have to immediately respond to an issue of conflict while other times we can and should follow Jesus’ plan to solve a conflict issue. Take the time to manage not only the conflict but your thoughts as to how to solve the problem.
  4. He defined the end goal.
    Jesus didn’t just create chaos on top of a problem that was already manifest. He defined his action for resolve. Verse sixteen reads, “He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business”” (John 2:16).
    He didn’t give a speech. He didn’t have to. When the dust settled everyone knew who He was and why He did what he did. Sometimes we have to create a little dust to define our actions. Jesus didn’t prolong the issue. He explained why He chose his mode of action. Done. Simple. Move on!

In simplified form…

Jesus went in and discovered an issue. He left and dissected the issue at hand. He took it apart in his mind. He analyzed the problem. Then he determined a course of action. He managed his thoughts toward resolve. Last but not least he defined his reason for action. No one was left in the dark. He acted. He did what had to be done. He moved on. He didn’t linger. He didn’t wallow in the wrong of what occurred. He didn’t celebrate at length what had happened. He progressed to the next stage of his story and life journey.

Sometimes it will take a lengthy amount of time to dissect and issue at hand. In this particular case it wasn’t a massive amount of time. I have had to deal with conflict that could be dissected in a few hours. And other times I had to dissect the issue for days or even weeks. Dissection may be the most uncomfortable part of dealing with conflict. Laying the “frog” open isn’t without difficult and wearisome choices. But once we dissect the issue we can better make a determined response to it.

I had to write a paper about my experience after dissecting a Freddy the Frog in my seventh grade bio class! Poor Freddy the Frog had to be sacrificed for me to be to define what all just happened to challenge my education journey. My “definition paper” was a short debrief of Freddy’s biology cause demise. Defining an issue must involve solid and Word based truths. It is imperative we look to the Word to solve our world/business/church issues of conflict. It’s rather simple when we lean into His word!