I'd Better Put Some Thought Into Her Christmas Present

I appreciate my wife so much. I'm busy working and spending all kinds of hours doing what I do and if it weren't for her we wouldn't have much Christmas going on at home. I get focused on all the things I have to do to be religious and get the year wrapped up and never have to worry much about what's going on at home for the family for Christmas. She does all the work.

My wife made sure the house got decorated. I carried the boxes upstairs but she put everything where it's supposed to go. I carried the boxes back downstairs with the stuff the Christmas stuff replaced around the house.

My wife bought all the kids their presents. I didn't have to do any of it. I assume, because she has every other year, she also bought me a present. All I ever have to do is buy for her.

I had better put a little thought into what I give her for Christmas, too.

She hosts a Christmas tea for the ladies of the church. She organizes and hosts a Christmas dessert party for our neighborhood. She baked cookies, made fudge and toffee, and got our Christmas cards and letter out. She bought a jigsaw puzzle we put together as a family. She bought a new game we played as a family. She has prepared each of the kids' favorite meals while they are here for break.

Oh, and we have a couple of families in the church who are dealing with some life-threatening, life-altering issues and she's prepared and delivered meals to both of them. She made sure one of these families had Christmas presents to open, as well.

I'd better put a little thought into what I give her for Christmas!

And Paul tells Titus to communicate to the older ladies so that they can teach the younger ladies to "be subject to their own husbands." (2:5) Looking at this from our culture it looks like I might have ammunition to force my wife to do what I say. Just rip this out of the context of the passage and the context of the culture and try to force your wife to submit. I dare you.

Or, keep it in the context of the passage that also says that the older women are to teach the younger women to "fulfill their duties at home" (2:5) whick literally means, "be the despot of the house." That is, be very much in charge of what's happening in the home.

In the context of the culture there was societal pressure for every woman to submit to every man. As soon as a man walked in the room, no matter what relationship she had to him if any, every woman was to submit to what he said.

Paul was actually raising the value and independence of women while reducing their responsibilites to submit. The only man a women must submit to is her own husband, not any other male. And, she is absolutely in charge of what's going on in the house. There's no way any man would come into a house where the despot is in charge and tell her what to do in any way, shape or form.

She is free to fully exercise her gifts, intellect, talents and leadership skills and I'd better not get in her way! In fact, what I have to do is honor her. I have to lift her up. I need to tell her and show her that I love her, respect her and appreciate all that she does on behalf of the Lord for our children, our friends, neighbors, church, and me.

I'd better put some thought into what I giver her for Christmas!

Programs Don't Do This

We can't program this. There's no way to organize this so it works following a set of simple guidelines. It's too complicated.

People can make it happen, though. It has to be a priority. It has to be genuine and there has to be an honest desire for it to occur.

Everyone has to understand their role and be mature about the process. A young pastor who's been trained in sound doctrine teaches it to people who've experienced more than he has. These recipients, take what they're taught and combine it with their experiences to teach other people who will undoubtedly go through these experiences at some point in their lives. And, that young pastor might even be a recipient.

Seems simple. Seems biblical. Why not?

Too often in churches today everyone wants the pastor to teach to their experiences. He'd better be relevant or they'll go find a pastor who is.

Well, if that the case then we should hire an older man to be our pastor because he's obviously experienced more. But, the young adults will argue, his experiences as a 20-year old were far different than theirs, now. He can't relate to them. He's irrelevant.

So, let's hire a young pastor. He'll bring passion and fire. But, he'll also bring inexperience. The older adults will argue that he's not speaking to them. His teaching lacks the depth that raising and launching teenagers will inevitably produce. He can't relate to them. He's irrelevant.

Older adults still want to be viewed as wise, mature and with something to offer the younger adults. But, somewhere along the way their doctrine gets stuck in traditional ruts. You know, husbands must lead. Wives must submit. Women should stay home, not work outside the home, the children need this.

Younger adults would love input. But they're done with old traditions. They are impersonal and irrelevant. Besides, in this economy, what family can really live on one income? Housing prices, SUV's, private schools, and traveling soccer teams are priced out of sight. Wives are college-educated, maybe even an MBA. Husbands are passive. And, besides, God created us all equal, right? Does it matter who leads?

Oh yes, so right. What does an older woman with only a high school degree who's stayed at home all her life really have to offer a young, high powered female exec? And, what does an older man who climbed the corporate ladder to became a vp and sacrificed hours with his family to provide financially for them have to offer a younger man whose more interested in living near the poverty line and taking his family on peace corp trips while his wife is studying for her MBA?

A LOT!

Then, who's going to pastor this group and what does he or she really have to offer them?

Modern church. Only God could make this work.

Who's Teaching What to Whom?

So, who's teaching whom, what?

Did you know that after the verb "communicate" (NET) or "teach" (NIV) in Titus 2:1 there's not another verb in the Greek text till the end of v.3 where Paul refers to older women teaching what is good.

And, that word "communicate" literally means to preach or lecture.

Paul had been instructing Titus for years on sound doctine. Now, he left him in Crete to finish the work of putting together the leadership structure in the church there.

Though, Titus was coming to know sound doctrine there were cultural things relevant to Crete that he did not know well, yet. At least, he hadn't studied Cretan Culture as long as he had studied sound doctrine under Paul.

Paul left him to strengthen the fabric and foundation of the church there in Crete. But he didn't know the culture. So, how could he teach the young Cretans how to treat their husbands or wives, how to raise their children in a godly home, how to run a godly household, how to manage finances biblically, how to run a business and treat customers, and other godly behaviors? He needed help from mature Cretans. But they didn't know sound doctrine. And, they needed to learn it and learn it fast.

So, Paul helped Titus set his priorities. He needed to communicate sound doctrine to the mature Cretans so that they could give relevant, cultural application with the doctrine to the younger adults in the church. He didn't have a lot of time for give and take, or a dialogue. He just needed to get the information out. So, he would have lectured a lot.

Mature adults tend to be better, more efficient learners. Mature adults process information more efficiently finding their applications faster and more accurately.

So, if I want to build into the fabric and foundation of Grace Church, I need to communicate sound doctrine to the older adults in the church and have you give relevant application to the doctrine and pass it on the younger adults.

Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. What do you think?

Able to Teach and Teachable

Titus 2:2
"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance."

I remember what it was like this time of year in 1982 when I was working on my first Masters Degree, in education. I was finishing up assignments for my professors at the same time I was assigning end of semester projects for my students. Interesting perspective.

Efficiency was imperative; on both ends. I appreciated, so much, my profs who were the best teachers. These were the classes where I really understood what they were trying to teach me and how it applied to what I was trying to do. Even when I'm a business major studying education and taking a history class. That history prof taught me a lot, not only about history, but how to read, process information, summarize and communicate the important facts to the rest of the class. Invaluable to a teacher.

I was impressed with the importance of helping my students mine the pearls from among the sand in the classes I was teaching. I wanted them to learn more than the subject matter, but also how to read, process information, summarize and communicate the important facts back to me.

That kind of immediate application sticks.

So, "old men" (Titus 2:2), are you teachable? And, by now, are you teaching?

Heb 5:11-14
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."

It's amazing how being a student will improve your teaching skills. And, how teaching will improve your learning skills.

I've known way too many old men who grew a lot (spiritually) as teenagers and in their early 20's. They grew a little more in their 30's. But something happened within them when they arrived in their 50's and 60's and they stopped learning. And, this is typically the age when we look to men to be leaders and teachers. If you've stopped learning you have also hamstrung your ability teach.

Deut 4:1
"Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you."

Deut 5:1
"Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them."

The Hebrew word used in 4:1 as "teach" is the same word used in 5:1 as "learn". The 2 processes are inseperable. The biblical definition of the process is, if the learners aren't learning then the teacher isn't teaching.

Hmmm. So, in order to be considered a good teacher, my students have to be learning. And, the only way to know if they are learning is if they are making better decisions than they were before.

And, in order to be a good teacher, I have to be a good student. Which means, someone is teaching me well enough that I'm making better decisions.

I need people in my life who are learning from others and in turn are investing in me. I need to be taking what I'm learning and in turn investing it in others. Almost sounds biblical, doesn't it?

Too many men short-circuit the process and check out of being students. But, when they do that they have retarded their ability to teach. How effective are they really?

So, old men, are you teachable? Are you seeing evidence in your life in the form of making better decisions today than you did last year?

Old men, are you teaching anybody right now? By now you ought to be teachers of deeper spiritual issues. Have you mastered them? Who's learning from you in such a way their life is marked by better decisions today than they were making a year ago?

Can you imagine a church where every man is learning and teaching?

Grace is a Chaser

Purity. We cannot make ourselves pure. In fact, no one is pure. Except...

Rom 3:21-24
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Mark 7:15
Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'

LIkewise, nothing going into a man can make him clean, either. There is nothing a man can do to make himself pure. The only thing we can do, which is quite enough, is to have faith that God, in his grace, has made us pure.

And, as Paul wrote to Titus, those that have no faith, not only cannot do anything to make themselves pure, everything they do, even what would be considered good by moral standards, is corrupted and no good.

This changes everything. The best work by the worst person is no good at all. The worst work by a good person, that is, one who has been declared good by God, is a good work. Someone who is declared good is motivated entirely differently than they were before they were declared good.

God won't let a declared good man go down the path of disobedience without chasing him and catching him. Jonah. God said, "Go up to Nineveh." Jonah ran down. He ran down to Joppa. Down to the pier. Down into the hold of the boat.

God chased him and caught him. So, Jonah thought suicide would be the best response so he had the sailors throw him down into the water. This is the ultimate in cowardly copouts. Rather than face the wrong deed and make it good, quit. God chased him into the water and wouldn't let quit.

Rather than allow him to drown, God had the big fish swallow him. And, literally, in the belly of the fish Jonah had his "come-to-Jesus" meeting.

Jonah, in his repentance, said this, "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs." (2:8)

He realized that unbelievers, who cling to idols are never chased down by those idols the way God chased him. He did not deserve to chased. In his mind he deserved to be let go and die. Not only did God see to it that he lived, he lived the abundant life that God offers all who believe.

Jonah got another chance. Grace. Followers of Jesus, those who believe, those who have been made pure by God who do bone-headed things that hurt people are chased down by God and given another chance. We get the chance to repent, atone and restore.

As leaders we need to do all that we can to help people recognize that they have been caught by God and are given another chance to do things right. Remember, their rightness or wrongness does not make them pure. They already are.

We are not God. We cannot become the issue. We must direct people to deal with the issue as God convicts them. Still, they are pure because God made them pure. Their actions, though questionable, are all part of the process God takes us through to grow us up.

Since purity is a declaration of God it changes how we view the actions of of brothers in Christ. Most who are running would get to point where they would rather be let go. But they won't be. The Holy Spirit is a chaser. He might use one of us in the process, but make no mistake, God is the chaser.

Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit that grace that could be theirs. Thank God that grace is a chaser. He will never let us go.

Acceptable by God's Standards

"All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted." (Titus 1:15 NET)

So, are you a 'meat-eater' or a 'vegetarian'? Remember Romans 15:7?

"Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory." NET

Those who ate meat ridiculed and disrespected those who did not. They didn't because they were convicted that it was irresponsible and ungodly. I'm sure they made a very convincing case for their spiritual health and physical health. After all, meat carried many illnesses and the chance of becoming ill after eating it was greater than if you abstained.

The vegetarians resented those who ate meat believing that they were immature and irresponsible. But the meat eaters believed Paul was literally correct when he wrote Titus 1:15 and 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

"Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial . "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake— the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." NIV

Think about the things that divide us. There are those significant doctrinal differences and sinful activities. Then, there are those things that shouldn't but do anyway.

Should we fight to keep prohibitions of the use of alcohol and tobacco in or out of our church constitutions? Should we argue and divide over whether or not the rapture will occur before, during or after the tribulation? Then what about the large number of Christians who don't believe there will be a rapture at all?

One of our highest priorities is to be unified. We are not supposed to be uniform, however. As leaders, we must not only maintain peace but promote it. And, our promotion sometimes will test our ability to accept those who don't do things the way we do them.

Can we be the model church by not requiring everyone model their behavior after 'me'? And, leaders fight fiercely for our freedom in Christ so that each one of us can live our lives as the Holy Spirit directs.

All this to God's glory.

Looking for the Fix or for the Fight?

So, when do you bring the hammer and when do let things slide?

I think my kids when they were 2-years old and now as young adults. When they run down the driveway full speed toward the street, at one time I would punish them severely for that. Now, sometimes I might even encourage it. Or, when they're 2 it's okay for them to "invite Jesus into their heart." Now, they need to know it's the Holy Spirit that indwells them.

When do you correct things? How hard should they be hit (Not literally, of course)? Or, just let it slide?

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul addresses the discipline of immoral Christians. He says, in effect, hit them hard with your hammer. But, in terms of immoral people who are outside the church, if you hit them at all, go easy.

There were issues that the 1st century church dealt with that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus about. These were created by either current Jews or Jewish converts to Christianity who were bringing myths and genologies into the doctine and teachings of the church.

They were leaders. And, the doctrine was directly related to salvation. There may have been more to this, but we know that this was specifically addressed.

So, elders, you who have one wife and faithful, obedient children. You must humbly, without looking for a fight, with great self-control and sensibility correct people who are leading others in a direction that cause them to misunderstand their salvation.

Have you ever tried to correct somebody who was looking for a fight and keep it civil and peaceful? Not easy! This is where an elder really earns his pay. Unfortunately, too many elders are the ones looking for the fight. But, the elder's job is to keep the peace. And, if the one being corrected is too divisive it's time for him to go.

We're called to lead sheep. Sheep aren't the brightest bulbs in the pasture. They don't think for themselves and are very needy. If you turn one sheep away, no doubt, he will soon be devoured.

Elders are called to collect people, people of diverse background and maturity level, oversee their spiritual development, keep them unified and peaceful, and lead them to Jesus who can fix what's broken in their lives. The priority is the fix not the fight.

Sometimes we have to fight, but only when the fix is at stake for the rest.

We have talked a lot about the relational work that's done in the context of the church. Our priority is always the relationships. The teaching always supports the relationships. If it's not, then the teaching needs to change.

If the work is being done early when people are first coming to the church, the relationships are being strengthened and the doctrine is true then there will be less and less call for the hammer. And, that's our goal. If we can maintain a healthy bond among leaders, up and comers, members and guests; then the need to hammer someone will rarely, if ever occur.

Timing is important. Hopefully, issues that have the potential to divide the entire congregation can be dealt with very early on. Then, if the one who would eventually split the church needs to move on then the loss is only this one or just a few like-minded. Elders must be active, not passive, and take the initiative to address things when they're still just sparks or small fires before they become raging forest fires.

Still, the million-dollar question is when. That's where the elders' walk with God is so important. God will let us know when the time is right and what weight of discipline to bring. Though we'll never be perfect, we can be right most of the time.

Pursue the fix not the fight.

Knock Knock. Who's There?

Caller ID has eliminated one embarrassing event that occurred way too often to me. Remember when you used to get calls and you just hoped that the person calling you would identify themselves in the first couple of words? Did you ever think you were talking to one person only to realize a few sentences in that you were talking to someone else?

Cell phones have helped, too. I've called church members before and had who I thought was the adult parent answer the phone. Can I be blamed when a teenage boy's voice hadn't changed yet leading me to think I was talking to his mother? Men, do you know how demoralizing that is to a young man? I could have ruined him for life.

So, here's an issue that more men struggle with than ever realize. Do you recognize the voice of God when he communicates with you? Can you tell the difference between his voice and your own silent wishful thinking or another's impassioned voice in your head?

1 Kings 19:11-13

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind . After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
NIV

Having the Bible to study is invaluable for growing in our relationship with God. God spoke and under the direction of the Holy Spirit men wrote it down. Now, we discuss and sometimes argue over the interpretation and implication of these words. Still, the Bible has a lot of black and white.

What I mean is, we work hard to study and know what the Bible says and we can catagorize it in so many ways. By applying our God-given intellect we gain insight and discover nuances in meaning that have life-changing implications. However, this intellectual exercise has serious limitations.

Our relationship with God is not an intellectual exercise. It's no different than my relationship with my wife. Now, I have to be smart about how I relate to my wife, but the dynamic requires much more than my ability to catagorize and intellectualize loving her. And, you all know this is true.

The bible is a lot of black and white. But, God whispers in shades of gray. Certainly, he does not contradict anything in the writings. But the application to each of us is nuanced for our own unique situations.

Typically, we are very good at talking about the Bible and God. As men, stereotypically, we are not very good at letting God into our lives at a deep enough level that it brings fundamental change. We don't read instructions or ask for directions. We're problem solvers and no one can tell me how to solve my problems better than I can figure out on my own. Right?

So, can you recognize the voice of God when he whispers between the lines of the verses you're reading in your quiet time? Can you hear his voice when some long-winded preacher is droning on and your stomach is growling just about as loud? Do you hear his calming voice when our worship pastor is both rocking the house and later quietly unplugged? God speaks to everyone in the room and will speak to each one's unique circumstances. When your LIFE group shares applications from the night's study can you discern the difference between what God said to your friends versus what he said to you?

It's a leared skill. We can't read about it. We learn by trial and error and successful repetition.

So, can you recognize his voice after just a couple of words in your ear?

Healthy Habits

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:9)

I have a hard time watching the Cowboys these days. They should be undefeated. I'm no expert, but it seems to me the mistakes they are making that are costing them games are so fundamental that they should have been addressed in the preseason.

Drills in the preseason are practiced repeatedly thousands of times. The principle behind the repetition is to do something so many times that it becomes habit. There's no pressure during the drill so take the time necessary to develop the appropriate habit.

Under pressure it is human nature to revert to habit. So, by developing good habits without any pressure, when thrust into the pressure cooker of game time a player will react correctly without having to think about it.

Another principle in practice is developed by the coach that every player fears. He's the guy that gets in your grill and raise the stress level in your life to a point where you're either going to wet your pants or perform your task perfectly for fear he will kill next time. Now, no coach is really going to kill his player. But if the player is just a little uncertain about this it can be used effectively by the coach to bring about the behavior he wants.

The gametime application of this that no game pressure will ever be as intense as that coach in your grill. So, if you can perform the task correctly, once you've rehearsed thousands of time without any pressure, then perfomed correctly under the intimidating glare of that coach, it will be a piece of cake to perform correctly with the game on the line and 80,000 rabid fans screaming bloody murder.

I need some men around me who can perform calmly and correctly when everything is on the line. I need men around me who are hold so firmly to the truth that nothing can pry their white-knuckled fingers from it. I need men around me who can obediently act on correct doctrine when weaker men would collapse under the pressure of the intensity of life.

These are the men that encourage me to work hard at my walk with Jesus so that I can perform obediently, too. I want to be one of those men for the men that follow me.

When I see guys who are being forced through the ringer in life and they are still calm and performing their priorties like loving their wife, not provoking their children, worshiping well, tithing, etc. I am encouraged to do the same. My life has been a walk in the park compared to some. And I see evidence of the faith in these men who have been challenged in incredible ways and are still strong. This encourages me to do the same.

You want to be mature? You want to qualify yourself to be considered as an elder? It starts by developing healthy relational habits long before the pressure of life demands the strength that these habits reinforce. Then, when in the pressure-cooker the habits hold up and your walk with God is stronger than ever.

Somewhere along in the preseason a group of football players never established these habits. Elders can't wait till game time, either, to form these habits.

How are your habits holding up?

Do You Walk With Jesus or Just Visit Him?

What would they say?

As we study the qualifications to be an elder we understand that these are tangible signs of maturity and wisdom. Only God knows your heart. And, yes he calls you (or not) to be an elder. But other men have to see something and appoint you.

We all dress up, literally and figuratively, and go to church. We go to Wake Up Call. We go to LIFE Group. We wear our holy (Un-holey) underwear, freshly washed jeans, untuck our shirts and go worship, study and fellowship. Some of us even clean up our language. Though a certain unnamed preacher once cussed in the pulpit in discussing the Big Dam Bridge and referred to the "whole dam(n) proces".

Anyway, we all get an impression of each other in these places. But, what are you like when you're not in these places or with these people? What would those guys say? They're the ones you at deer camp with you. Or, those golf weekends. Your card-playing friends. How would all your lost friends describe you in relation to this list in Titus?

Who are you, really? Who is the real you? How different are you between these different groups?

Do you walk with Jesus or do you just visit him? Randy brought up a great point. Sometimes we get so busy doing Christian things we confuse being religous with building a relationship. I can be busy doing the things that a married man does including bring home the bacon, maintain the house and cars and track the hurricanes in the gulf. I can do all those things as well or better than any of the rest of you but still have a lousy marriage because I didn't walk with my wife.

The "real" me shows up when I let my hair down. Typically, I put my hair up for church and in front of you guys. But I let my hair down when I go play. And, I play with some of you. So, am I the same guy on the golf course that am at Panera on Wednesdy morning or in the pulpit on Sunday?

Are you the same guy everywhere you go? Consistency is developed as you walk. Build your relationship while you practice your religion. Then, the guys at the deer camp will recognize you when they see you at church. Except you'll smell better at church.

Declarations and Sacrifices

Elders are good worshipers. Leaders, by definition, do things just at least a bit little better than their followers.

Words are cheap. You can say anything. And, if you can keep your distance no one will ever know the difference.

Some sinners are good at this, for a while. Eventually, they will be found out. No secret stays secret forever. I recently found out that a man who many respected had sexually molested his daughter when she was between 6 and 13 years old. He passed away and was remembered quite magnanimously at his funeral. Few outside the family ever knew.

It's relatively easy to give the appearance of being a good worshiper. Attendance is the key. Just make sure you're seen just about every Sunday.

Of course, just because you're in the room when a worship service is going on doesn't mean you're worshiping. Focusing on what God is saying to you is the most important thing. That requires humility, discipline and the ability to hear the voice of God clearly.

Just because you're not in the room doesn't mean you're not worshiping. But you'd better be someplace worshiping. And, just because you're not seen doesn't mean your not worshiping, either, right?

Implied in hearing the voice of God is acting on what you hear. An elder is someone who hears God and responds. Actions are sometimes private and sometimes public. They are sometimes small and sometimes very large.

One of my favorite elders from a previous church taught the 4th grade Sunday School class for years. If you didn't have a 4th grader you probably never would have known. He's the elder that successfully taught most of his students to have quiet times.

When God calls a man out he has a choice. A man who chooses to obey no matter what it costs him is a man who is qualifying himself to be an elder. Humbly, not seeking rewards, attention or the limelight even though giving hours and lots of emotional energy by investing in 10-year olds is pretty cool.

A man who does what God calls him out to do will have some stories to tell, too. They'll be stories of how God brought peace in the middle of a tumultuous time. They'll be stories of how God provided financially when there was no apparent way that there would be enough. They'll be stories of lives changing, marriages reconciling, standing in the gap, and being strong when others would collapse.

Worship involves giving God things of real value. You have nothing more valuable than your life. And, once you've given you life to God then, from time to time he'll ask you for your "Isaac", too. And, when God does something big, declare it loudly and publicly.

So, an elder gives a little bit more than most. Much of it is given in private. An, elder has some pretty good stories to tell, too. But, because they tend to be humble you'll have to ask.

When's the last time you asked an elder about what he's seen God do?

At Ease

You know there are those guys who just make you feel comfortable. They are the ones whose questions and body language are welcoming and put you at ease.

Then there are those guys who make you tense. Maybe they're awkward. Maybe they're shy. Maybe they're just plain mean. It doesn't matter if you're in their house or if they come to yours, their aura dominates the room and it's tense.

I worked for a pastor who tried really hard to put his staff at ease. He knew it was important to ask good questions in one-on-one situations. It didn't matter if it was social or professional, he worked hard at this.

The problem was, he worked too hard. It was awkward. Especially in those one-on-one, boss/subordinate meetings where we had to disucss a difficult issue. You've heard the saying, "shoot first and ask questions later." Well, he shot with his questions.

It was obvious he was trying to tell me something only he phrased it in a question. He wasn't interested in a yes or no response. What he was looking for was agreement with him.

The odd thing was he was very good in counseling situations. He would put people at ease immediately and make great progress in their issues. But, when the issue was his it did not go well.

Elders are to be hospitable. Some guys just do it better than others. Christian life is a life of transparency, honesty and encouragement. There are guys, some are more gifted and all of them work at getting people to feel comfortable and open up.

Think about all the guys you know. Maybe, think about the guys who sit around the table at Panera. Some put you at ease better than others. These are the guys who meet this qualification.

What do you need to do to qualify yourself?

Elders Don't Leave Bruises

This is probably where most men prove their qualification, or lackthereof, to be an elder.

I know this is a story I've told before, but it bears repeating for this post.

I had missed our last LIFE group meeting when my leader told me about a prolonged discussion our group had had. It centered around the frequency we had communion in our worship services. The group discussion was "spirited", emotional, passionate. The members shared how important communion is to them and how meaningful of a worship experience it is. I asked how often the group members would like for us to do it. My leader replied, "We thought monthly would be the best frequency." I asked, "How often do you think we do it?" He replied, "We think it's done about quarterly."

The group had drawn conclusions, made decisions, and were pretty fired up about what they wanted to communicate to me about what needed to change in our worship planning.

Interesting. When I informed our leader that we actually do communion monthly our discussion changed a bit. Some of our group members serve in Children's ministry regularly and miss some worship services. But, some just didn't come to church when we did communion. They had their reasons.

Of course, what I wanted to say was, "So, how important is communion and worship really?! When you sleep in or just don't make it to church on Sunday you can't come back at me and tell me how important communion is."

But I can't say that. As a leader I understand that I am going to be critiqued on a regular basis and in a lot of areas. And, unfortunately, some of the time the conclusions, decisions and reactions are based upon perceptions that are not reality.

Some of time the input I get is incredibly valuable as I have blindspots. I'll be the first to tell you how imperfect I am. And, when you have regular opportunities to display your imperfections, like I do on a weekly basis, there are about 100 people who clearly observe every flaw that I display. In order for me to grow and improve in what I do I need to know where I'm swinging and missing.

People pointing out my actual imperfections is hard enough. But, when they point out their perceptions of my imperfections that are not exactly accurate; now that's a tough situation to react to.

Let me paraphrase Titus 1:7. An elder is humble and takes people's criticsm well. He doesn't go off on them and point out their numerous flaws and imperfections in order to deflect from his own. He doesn't drink to forget the people he's in charge of shepherding. Of course that's because the people will still be there when he sobers up. He doesn't drink to ease the pain of their stinging barbs. That's because they'll just repeat them and add "drunkard" to their list. He won't leave bruises on the people he's shepherding. And, he won't demand a raise for all the critiquing he receives.

There are a number of decisions that elders make that are not obvious to the people. The rank and file only see the tip of the iceberg. There are decsions that cannot be discussed for good reasons and the people need to trust the elders.

I've been quesioned pointedly about why I had to ask for our Children's Ministry Director's resignation a couple of years ago. I can't give you the details due to confidentialities. But I can tell you it was a no-brainer. I didn't wrestle with the decision. What I wrestled with was how to care for her in light of what she had done and what we had to do. But, there are those whose preceptions of the situation are not the reality and their conclusion is that I didn't handle it appropriately.

So, re-read Titus 1:7 in light of how a man critiques his elders and staff and in light of how a man receives the critiques of others. Now, set out to qualify yourself.

Have I mentioned lately that elders get critiqued on a regular basis?

When Right Isn't Obvious

So, how are the wisemen who visited Jesus like East Texas firemen? They both come from 'afar'.

Okay, sorry. But, having dropped my second child off at college and dealing with a couple of very minor issues with him since and a couple of things with my daughter who's a senior this year have shown me how much harder parenting is from afar than while the kids are still in the house. When I want to do some parenting with my youngest I just have to call him away from the Wii or wait till he gets home from work. Much more convenient.

I was at the Nehemiah Network prayer lunch last week. The Nehemiah Network is a gathering of pastors from all around Central Arkansas. This is the group behind Cityfest and Sharefest. Anyway, one of the pastors from one of the largest churches in the area shared that several years ago his son had been away at college 1 day and they received a call from the ER that he had alcohol poisoning. From the bubble of a sheltered house straight to rush week.

Respond to that. It's your son. Or, it's your pastor's son. Or, it's your fellow elder's son. What do you do? Is there a verse that specifically describes this situation? Is he no longer qualified to be an elder or pastor? Maybe at first he's okay, but what would he have to do over the ensuing weeks to disqualify himself, if anything?

Wise decisions. Would they be a qualifier or filter? Wisdom is not listed in the qualifiers. But it sure is implied in every qualifier. Having one wife, no brainer. Kids raised well. Not arrogant. Not prone to anger. Not a drunkard. Not violent. Not greedy. Hospitable, devoted to good, sensible, upright, devout and self-controlled. It would seem to me that wisdom is the foundation for each of these.

Then, there's the critic. The next qualifier is the ability to recognize sound doctrine, encourage it and correct what's wrong. So, an elder must be a critic. Must be able to criticize humbly. Doctrine isn't just the big and obvious like our doctrinal statement. It is also our doctrinal position that a husband should love his wife like Christ loves the church. So and elder will be a critic of how husbands treat their wives. There are many other behaviors that are doctrinal-based like sacrificial-giving, parenting, worshipping, quiet times, faith-sharing, etc.

Oh, and there's the other side of criticism. Here's a real shocker! An elder will be criticized by members of the congregation, who, by lack of qualification are not elders. An elder must be able to receive criticism humbly and without knocking the critic out.

Joseph didn't have leadership books to help him negotiate the meeting between his family and Pharaoh. Nor did he have any presedence on how the handle the food situation when the people ran out of money. Yet, he demonstrated tremendous wisdom in how he handled both situations.

So, how do you handle situations where there is not a clear right nor wrong? It's your son who's lying in the ER too far away and way too close to death. Or, it's your pastor's son who's lying there and you know some of the people in the church will not respond well to this. You may have some criticism for your pastor. And, you know you will be criticized for how you handle him. How do you receive criticism? How do you give it? Is your doctrine sound?

Can you imagine a church where the people love each other enough only major on major issues and when faced with a major issue they remain united and respectful of one another? It sure would cut down on church-hopping!

The only way to prepare for any of this is by growing in your knowledge of Jesus and the truth that is in keeping with godliness (v.1) A close walk. You'll be ready for much more. Ultimately, isn't that the only qualifier as each verb in the list above is indicative of a man's position in and with Jesus?

There's no way to specifically prepare for everything. But there is a way to prepare for anything. These are the men who will comprise the group from whom our elders will be chosen.

Qualifiers and Filters

I remember when Sara and I first met. It just "clicked". We were both part of the singles class at our church. The first time we ever had an extended conversation was when my roommate and I hosted a party at our apartment. She came. I don't remember anything else about the party, but I do remember Sara.

Now, with nearly adult children, 2 in college, I have a little different perspective on choosing a spouse for them. That whole "just clicking" thing scares me, a lot. I think about all the tatoo'ed, body-pierced, wild-hairs they could possibly "click" with. What really matters? What qualifies someone to be considered spousal material for my child? And, just because they are qualified, are they a good match?

What qualifies someone to be considered spousal material? Well, a Jesus-follower who is walking closely with Jesus. Obviously, faith is the most important and first thing to check. Then, there are plenty of Jesus followers who just aren't following very closely. In my mind, they're DQ'd.

I think of a number of our friends from that group. All of our closest friends were faithful and walking pretty closely. Why, then, did Sara and I end up together and not with any other from that group? By the way, my roommate had a crush on her and I found out later had specifically invited her to that party to ask her out later. She ended up with me. Ooops.

Filters. These are the things like personality, interests, physical attraction, going the same direction in life and common background. She's an abstract thinker and I'm anal. She's creative and I'm concrete. She's more about the people and I'm more about the details. We're both athletic, game-players and competitive. Every time we play a game we keep score because somebody has to lose. If there's blood, tough. Rub a little dirt on it.

Choosing elders is a lot like this. There are the biblical qualifers. Things like husband of one wife, believing and obedient children, humble, hospitable, sensible, and self-controlled. These each are reflective of the condition of a man's heart with tangible expressions that the rest of us can see and judge.

Then, there are filters. These do not carry the weight of the scriptural qualifiers but are important in considering men for elders. At Grace, filters are things like participating in a LIFE Group, leading a group or ministry, attending our worship services (seems like a n0-brainer but notice worship attendance isn't listed in either Titus or Timothy), sacrificial giving (as pastor I have no idea what anyone else but my family gives to Grace but someone will need to know that everyone we're considering gives sacrificially), generous with time, and is committed to and involved in specific and describable ways in our mission of "Bringing LIFE to our Community".

Neither list above, qualifiers or filters, is exhaustive for this post. But you get the idea. All churches would have the same qualifiers. But some of their filters will be different. Fellowship would have similar filters but with dramatically different applications. They have 2 levels of elder. We're a very average sized church. Our elders are much more like associate pastors. There are ministry jobs that have to be done so we have paid and unpaid staff to do them.

Many men should get qualified. Most of these would make it through our filters. This is the pool of men we'd look into to find out who is called.

And with all this, remember, no one needs a title to lead. And if you're waiting to be appointed to a titled role in order to lead you'll probably not ever get appointed. Likewise, just because you may have a title, like pastor or elder, doesn't automatically mean you're a leader. That's when the work begins in earnest.

God is calling men to step up. We have let God down, as a lot, for some time now. We have let the church down. Step up. Qualify yourselves. Filter yourselves. Grace will be a source of LIFE to this community with our impact and influence spreading far and wide according to the number of men who can lead.

Life Isn't Single-Elimination

"All-or-none" deals are crazy. I love the NCAA basketball tournament for that reason. Boise State and TCU football are pretty much in the same boat. Lose once and you're done.

A team could have a great season but lose one game, the wrong game, and there's no way to recover. If it's in the basketball tournament then the season is over. If TCU would have lost to Oregon State or Boise State lost to Va Tech, their season's wouldn't be over but there's no way they'd get to play for the national championship at the end of the year. They'll still get a good bowl game, but not THE bowl game.

Life just isn't that way in too many other arenas. One bad day. One mess up. One weak moment and you're done; for life. It happens enough to scare us. Drink and drive once and life might end. Unprotected sex once and she might get pregnant thus drastically altering the course of your life.

Even the most drastic circumstances, and their systemic consequeces usually can be recovered from. Grace covers just about everything. There's only one sin that can't be forgiven, unbelief. Our bodies heal. Relationships can be restored. Emotions can moderate and get back to normal.

So, are we looking for only perfect men to be elders? If that were the case Jesus wouldn't have assigned us the task of being his witnesses and continuing the work. Either he wouldn't have left or he'd have assigned the job to another species.

So, then, are we looking for a bunch of screw ups to lead? Well, there's an interesting over-reaction. Since nobody's perfect can we expect men to live their lives somewhere well above the bottom level of performance?

Absolutely!

Elders are to be chosen from a group of men who, though are not perfect, maintain a lifestyle of holiness and an attitude of humility at least a little better than the rest. These are men who mess up from time to time but apologize and make it right soon after conviction. These are men who don't mess up as often. These are men of integrity and character. Their public persona matches their private activities. These are men who have a picture in their mind of what God is calling them to be, their family to be and their church. They don't over-react. They don't under-react. They communicate well.

I'm just glad God doesn't deal with us on a "one-loss-and-done" basis. I'd have been done a long time ago. Grace is good.

One's Enough

Great discussion Wednesday guys. We covered lots of ground. I know that a few of you didn't have a lot to say so if we didn't answer a question or address and issue that you have please be sure to bring it up here or next week when we meet again.

Why did we go where we went yesterday? The question was raised in the context of qualification for elder. Well, we needed fully address the issues before we consider how it qualifies someone to be an elder.

Husband of one wife. Polygamy was a significant issue when Paul wrote Titus. I've got my hands full with one wife. I couldn't imagine doing what I do with more that what I've already got. But this issue had to be addressed in 1st century church leadership.

Is a divorced and remarried man a polygamist? Is death the only thing that completely disolves a marriage allowing a man the biblical right to remarry? That's why we looked at Deuteronomy 24:1-2. Remarriage was assumed and not condemned in any way. It was expected to take place. So, the Law guided through remarriage.

Jesus would not have contradicted the Law. In fact, in Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, he reestablished the Law as the standard. People had so lowered the standard that it became a joke. Anything short of intercourse wasn't adultery.

I can see it now. The chief priest before a special prosecutor, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

Jesus returned the bar to its proper place when he said, "if you've lusted after another woman you've sinned."

In talking about divorce he gave one allowable ground; pornea. It was intended to drastically cut down on the number of divorces by narrowing the grounds to this one specific criteria. All other criteria was invalid and unbiblical. But there was this one.

So, if Jesus allowed divorce, even if for one narrow ground; and if remarriage was accepted as appropriate and not condemned when divorce disolves the marriage; then I don't think Jesus would disqualify a man to be an elder on these grounds. But I do think it would be much tougher to qualify if you are divorced.

Children tend to act out their stress. And if mom and dad are fighting and divorced it's likely that the children could be described as "wild" or "disobedient."

A divorcee would have emotional wounds and scars that would show themselves from time to time. An explosive temper could be a symptom.

Something broke up the marriage. A man constantly fighting is not qualified to be an elder.

Divorce proceedings can be nasty. A greedy man is not qualified to be an elder. Fighting for the house, the kids, the 401k/ira, lake house, business, etc often times is rooted in greed or a desire to "stick it to my ex." Elder material?

Blameless. Not only innocent of charges like these but no cause to even blame, though maybe not even guilty of.

Ultimately, grace covers all of this. If we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive us. If we walk closely with Jesus then he will change us over time and these things that once characterized us will be distant, even forgotten memories. But time has to pass. And a close walk has to be maintained.

We studied the passages and discussed the issues. Our desire is to maintain a very high standard of holiness for our leaders. We cannot lower the bar just to fill the slots.

We will practice grace with one another. I'm always leary of churches and their names. It seems too often churches compensate for something lacking when they name themselves. At Grace, we will practice grace.

See you next week.

Sensitive or Successful?

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will grant you the desires of your heart." (Ps. 37:4)

God is in the process of fulfilling his dream for my life. The closer I can come to accepting his dream over my own dream for my life the more satisfied I will be.

My satisfaction is my responsibility. That is, I decide, not what satisfies me, but what I will look to in order to be satisfied. Will I stubbornly stick with my own dream, will I develop a hybrid dream based on what God has for me and my own dream, or, will I crucify my own dream and accept God's dream lock, stock and barrell?

Obviously, one of those "Duh" questions. Intellectually I get it. But in reality do I do it?

If I am really accepting God's dream as my own then I have a heightened sensitivity to what he's doing in me and around me. Whenever I check out of God's activity and into my own activity I have ceased to become sensitive to God.

If I am really accepting God's dream as my own it doesn't matter how I end up looking to everybody else. You might look at me as an abject failure. But, if that's God's dream then, okay. And, I'd be lying through my teeth if I said this would not be a real struggle for me. I am just about as competitive as anyone and I do not like failing. I like even less you thinking I look like a failure.

So, if I'm choosing guys to join me in leadership I'm more interested in guys who are sensitive to what God's doing around them then how successful they look. It doesn't take much of a relationship with a guy to know whether or not his success is deep or shallow.

Therefore, how sensitive are you to what God is saying and doing to you, in you and around you? When you're hungry, where do you go to eat? Obviously, I don't mean 5 Guys versus Dam Good Pies. But, do you find your filling in the Word, prayer, worship, fellowship and the like? There are plenty of guys who will practice these disciplines and end up just as hungry as when the started. There's a study, too. Do you find your filling there?

Can we all agree none of us is perfect? Okay, then can you name your last sin? It might be easier for you to name my last sin then your own! If you can't name it, then either the Holy Spirit isn't in you, you're Jesus, or, you're not listening. And, if you can't name it then you can't confess it. And, if you haven't confessed it then the guilt still hangs on you.

Do you see God's dream for your life even when you feel like you're living in a nightmare? Joseph lived through slavery and imprisonment. It took 20+ years before he saw God fulfill the dream He gave him. Yet, while living the nightmare "The Lord was with him and made him successful."

Do you see in your life where things just went much better than they should have. Mercy is not getting something bad that you deserve. Grace is getting a bonus that you don't deserve and cannot possibly repay. God doesn't wait till Heaven to administer his mercy and grace in our lives.

One obvious way to know if you are a sensitive recipient of God's mercy and grace is whether or not you can dispense it. Joseph had his brothers right where he could exact his revenge and he set them free. And, he gave them their money back and let them keep their food, it was free. I am convicted by the thought that I make people pay too much for what I do for them.

Hunger, conviction, dream fulfillment, mercy and grace are all tools of God that he will use to get our attention and make us aware of his activity around us. I want to be one of those guys who is aware and sees tangible ways God is granting me the desires of my heart. And, I want guys around me who are just like that, too.

Unpacking Hard Things

Some things are just hard. Marble countertops. Knowing what to get my wife for her birthday. My thick head when it comes to the pursuit of my own pleasure.

These pale in comparison to some of the issues we tackle that we come across in our study. Understanding election. Divorce and remarriage. Will the rapture happen before, during or after the tribulation period? Will there even be a rapture? A tribulation? And, what about the Kingdom? Now? or Later?

"We have much to say about this but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Heb. 5:11-14

Notice, the author says the problem is not that the material is tough. It is tough. The problem is mature believers don't try to tackle them. We have become "slow to learn." As a result we have not trained ourselves to distinguish between good and evil; and implied, do good.

We cannot shy away from tough issues. Even the ones that are emotionally charged. And few are more emotional powder kegs than divorce and remarriage.

As we get together next week, please pray that we can all separate ourselves from our opinions. I appreciate all of you and what you feel and think. However, when we get to tough topics like this it is very important to let the words mean what they mean. Definitions provide firm boundaries for interpretation. Feelings are good. But facts provide boundaries in which our feelings can roam.

The cultural context in which they were written is important, too. When you do your study of the passages that pertain take the time to learn the context in which they were written and received.

The more work we all do in advance the more progress we will make in the hour we have.

Please don't come loaded for bear. Come asking good questions. I have always appreciated much more the good questions people ask me then the good answers they give me. And the best questions are the ones that the asker sincerely doesn't know for sure what the answer is.

I like that we're diving in to some tough water. This issue has been argued even for centuries before Jesus walked the earth. We'll argue a little bit ourselves, too. Remember, our priority to to walk away united.

Try Tackling a Terabyte Problem With a 90 Kilobyte Floppy

My wife's just a little out of date. Ooh. Taken out of context that could get me in a lot of trouble. Context?

Back when we were first married she worked at a retail home computer store. She was trained in both sales and as a service tech. That's right, my wife was a member of the Nerd Herd of its day. She knew her way around the inside of a box with a screw driver.

Most of her service advice began like, "Insert the floppy disc in drive A..." Remember floppys? A whopping 90 KB of storage! It was a big deal when the first 1 meg. floppy came out. The first computer we bought together had a massive 40-meg hard drive. Wow.

Did I mention that was 26 years ago? Her training has lagged a little behind the curve. In fact, that ship sailed a long time ago. We're past KBs, megs, gigs, and we're on to terabytes now. Trust me, you can't solve a terabyte problem with kilobyte skills.

Our walk with Jesus is a lot like this. When we first come to know Jesus he's good enough to us to only reveal the easy things that need to change. These are the lifestyle and attitude issues that can be solved with KB tools. Things like not using the "s" word when I'm mad. Or, not telling off-color and racist jokes.

The longer we walk with Jesus the deeper he gets into our lives. We move into MB issues like communicating and being romantic with my wife. It takes some of us while to realize a clean t-shirt, socks and a 6-pack won't get our wives in the mood like it works for us. (It might take a nice Merlot or Pinot.)

Over time we move into GB issues. God's greater purpose for our lives is much more than our own private walk. Jesus really did place me here, right now, among these people to allow his love and leadership to flow through me to bring them along in my journey with me. Tracts and canned curricula are good to a point. But there's sometimes a chasm between the point of the bible study and the position of the guys in the study. It requires a big ole' Jesus tool to span that gap so that lesson meets that guy where he really is. And Jesus gave me that tool to use.

Then, there are the TB issues. How do you know who's got TB tools? Husband of one wife. Kids who are Jesus-followers and are reasonably obedient. Not greedy. Not picking fights all the time. Sensible. Self-controlled.

TB issues involved leading large groups of people. If it were easy, any old KB person could do it. But Paul was clear with Timothy about not appointing a new believer to the post of elder. Elders still have to deal with individuals and connect lessons with lives. But, they also have to deal with groups (mobs sometimes) trends and culture. Elders need to know the past, have a great understanding of the present and be able to see into the future.

Anyone naive enough to believe that we've hit the ceiling with terabytes? Anyone naive enough to believe that once you've taken the role of an elder you're done needing to grow? This is where the hard work is required grow. As a new beliver we think growth is so hard. It's only hard because it's new. TB growth requires that you have developed the skill of hearing the voice of God in your life that goes beyond just the black and white on the page.

I would suggest not calling my wife if you have a computer problem. Likewise, I would suggest not calling any man to TB position if they're only competent with KBs.

Maybe Jesus on His Forehead Would Be Easier!

Throughout history God has done some extraordinary things to get his message across. A flood followed by a rainbow, an army marching laps around a city followed by its walls' collapse and a cross followed by an empty tomb.

One of the more interesting things he did is more subtle, still genius. When Pharaoh renamed Joseph, Zaphenath-Paneah every time an Egyptian asked Joseph for food he was acknowledging that God speaks to us, is alive and gives us life.

The Egyptians didn't even believe in God. They had their own gods. Yet, all their gods couldn't tell Pharaoh what his dream meant, much less control the weather.

It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in God he can use you to accomplish his plan. He arranged for the most powerful nation on earth to be a blinking becon of the truth when everyone in the region had to come to Egypt for food.

Jesus, just before he ascended assigned us the task of being witnesses on his behalf. He assured us, and has confirmed, that we would have all the power we need do this. God would never put us in a round room and tell us to sit in the corner. Nor, would he tell us to do something lhe didn't give us the resources to accomplish.

Jesus doesn't need us. He could write "Jesus Saves" on the forehead of Ahmadinejad if he wanted to. Wouldn't that be funny. If God can make everyone hungry and make them ask "God speaks and is alive" for food he can pretty much do anything to get his message across.

Jesus wants to use us. And, apparently, among the ways he uses us to communicate himself to others is by giving us the ability to stay married and raise believing children.

So, as a group, how are we doing?

This isn't such a stretch. Titus was limited in appointing elders to men who met these 2 qualifications, among others. They must be important. They obviously aren't easy.

The divorce rate among Christ-followers is the same as those who aren't. Each generation that comes along is farther from God than the last. Maybe this is too hard. Maybe we should appoint people even if they don't qualify under either of these 2 issues.

I've been married 26 years. I have 3 children. All my kids are Jesus-followers. But, with a 21-year old, 18-year old and 16-year old they still have lots of growing up to do. When they were little I could force them to look obedient. Now, they decide on their own. Raising nearly adult children is tough.

I think "Jesus Saves" on Ahmadinejad's forehead would be much easier. But God, in all his wisdom, decided another way. And, if you want to be a leader in 'the Way' then you need to be happily married and have believing children who are reasonably obedient.

The forehead idea sounds better every time I write it!

What's Your Major?

My head is swirling with everything about taking my son to college. Friday we leave to move him into the dorm for his freshman year. All kinds of thoughts and emotions are running amok in my mind.

I think he's ready. We've done a lot to prepare him. He knows how to budget, do laundry, eat square meals and have quiet times. And, I think I'm ready to have him go. Anyone else have an 18-year old that's presenting a little attitude in the house?

What now? I started the conversations with him long ago that God wanted him to grow into a responsible adult who would, among other things, be able to support his family. That meant he had to have a job. And, college is where he'd go to learn how to do a job and have a career. So, he's got to get a degree while majoring in a field of study that he will be able to support his family with someday.

Whatever he majors in has requirements. He can't pick courses haphazardly. He has to perform up to standards in order to have the GPA requirements. There will be advisors (and parents) keeping track, making sure he's on track. If he fails then there won't be a major, a degree, a job, a career, or me enjoying my empty nest.

At Wake Up Call we spent much of Wednesday morning discussing the process Grace has for selecting elders. We heard how things have been done in the past, how they are progressing presently and how we hope things will go in the future. We do have a plan and it's a vital responsibility for us to select men who will be great leaders for us.

Not only does the church need a process to select elders but individual men need a process by which they qualify themselves to be elders. What's your process? Just like my son needs select courses, do assignments, and successfully complete the degree requirements; men need to pretty much do the same to put them in the position to be considered when it's time to add to the elder board.

The biggest requirement we have is a dynamic relationship with Jesus.

After Jesus, requirements include a dynamic relationship with your wife, your kids, the community of believers, the community at large, your co-workers, clients, vendors , boss, subordinates and pretty much everyone else you might even have a casual chance encounter with. Do you get the idea that relationships are kind of important in qualifying yourself to be a leader in the church?

So, assuming that all of you are majoring in becoming and elder, where in the process does your Advisor have you?

Leader or Manager?

When you're looking for someone to fill an opening it's important to know what you're looking for. Round pegs and square holes come to mind.

I've heard many definitions of leader vs. mananger but they all boil down to this difference. Leaders facilitate change and managers maintain status quo.

I had a great manager in my first high school job at McDonalds. No one would admit publicly that they liked Dave. But you could tell we all did. He was great at getting us to maximize our training up to McDonalds standards. He didn't set the rules or change the rules. He enforced the rules.

One of our favorite things he did was occasionally he'd come back to the grill area during a rush hour and hold up a $20 bill and tell us that he'd split it between all four crew members when the rush was over. The kicker was he would deduct $1 for every mistake we made over the hour. When minimum wage was about $3 another $5 for the hour was a pretty good deal. So, we worked hard and usually got to split nearly all of it.

McDonalds had a great system. No manager needed make any changes. The crew was trained and the system worked. We just needed to maximize our training. And as we performed well we were regularly rated as one of the top McDonalds in town. Everyone was rewarded for that.

One of the best leaders I've ever known is Richard. He was the sales manager (notice title means little) of a food brokerage. He'd get these young, raw recruits and develop them into a top sales team. He had to motivate and facilitate a number of changes in these sales people in order to get them to be successful. And they were. This team was always among the top performers in the region.

Great leadership begins with the leader. A person can't facilitate change unless he is changing. I watched Richard lead himself through some pretty tough, but important changes. He was not moral as a young adult. He broke trust with his young wife years before. But I was there as they celebrated their 25th anniversary. Anyone who humbles himself and transforms like that is worthy of following.

Change always stirs things up. Status quo, even a bad status quo, is steady. The same is safe. Change is daring and risky.

Paul left Titus in Crete to appoint leaders. And the leader's job was to bring order and settle things. There's the rub.

Leadership implies change. Change stirs things up. But the best leaders calm things down. Titus was looking for "the most interesting man in the world. When he hits you in the mouth you will have to resist the urge to thank him."

Most people are very good at stirring things up. That's easy. Leaders stir people to change then calm them into a new status quo.

So, he's looking for elders for this new organization. He's not looking for managers. The qualifications mean that the men have demonstrated the ability to recognize who really needs to change and bring about the change then settle the people down into a new status quo. All this until the next change needs to be made. And the process repeats itself.

If it were easy we wouldn't need God and anyone could do it. The qualifications are set high and difficult to attain. If any man thinks he's easily qualified he doesn't understand the terms. Leadership is just about the hardest thing any of us could attempt.

So, are you a leader or a manager?

Relax Already

There are people that just make you feel like everything's going to be okay. Frank is one of those guys. You walk into his house where he and his wife, Ann, raised their boys you immediately relax. Nothing else may have changed. Whatever stressors you carried in with you are still somewhere. But just being in their house took them off your shoulders and sent them away.

My grandfather was not that way. He seemed to stir things up. He lived a roiled life and apparently loved to roil everyone he encountered. It worked for him at work. But family life was tense. He's the kind of guy that the family would keep secrets from for fear of how he'd respond. He had a hot temper with a quick trigger. Of course, all the secrets that were kept he eventually found out. Let's just say hiding things from him didn't calm him at all.

One big difference between the two, as I observed, is maturity. Now, my grandfather was older. But you can't confuse old with mature. Or, maybe better said this way; physical maturity does not imply emotional, spiritual, mental, or relational maturity.

It seems the path of our journey with Jesus intends to take us where complete maturity lies. Jesus has called a group of gifted people to use their gifts to motivate others to use their gifts in serving everyone in the church. As everyone serves each other it causes us all to mature. The result of the giving combined with the receiving produces maturity. The net result of maturity is peace. This is my summary of Eph. 4:11-16.

So, relax already. Peace. Calmness is tied to maturity. So, let's all grow up. I need for you to serve me in the way God gifted you so that I can grow up and live in peace. I need for you to let me serve you, too. All of us together will collectively mature the church as we individually mature. The net result. Peace.

Paul must have recognized that Titus was mature. He left him in Crete to settle things. He was looking for some of the same characteristics in the men on Crete that Paul saw in him. It takes one to know one, doesn't it?

So, he would have been looking for men who were actively serving. And, these pool of prospects would have been much stronger where the entire church was serving.

We need more men like Frank than men like my grandfather. In order to have more mature men we need for all of us to be actively working, serving each other. So, if your goal is peace then we all need to get and stay busy.

Interesting thought, I'll find peace while we all work hard serving each other. That makes me rethink what peace really is. And, those most at peace, who bring the most peace, who roil things up the least, will be the ones who will be asked to be elders.

So, relax already.

Dare to be Different

How different are you? Who notices?

Tom became a Christ-follower as an adult. He was already married and had kids. When my path crossed his later in his life, he admitted he and his wife hated each other in those early years. Bad habits. No reason to love. Whatever. They HATED each other.

Becoming a follower of Christ saved his marriage. Jesus made him different but he didn't make him love his wife. He had to learn to do that all over again. They both committed to trying hard to re-fall in love and it worked. The center piece of their efforts was a weekly date. No kids, no work, no distractions; just focusing on each other. Over time they fell back into love. That's different.

I love my wife very much. I could not imagine falling out of love with her. But, from the day I heard Tom's story I committed to taking my wife on a date every week. The Lord was with Tom. He worked hard at being different and not becoming a divorce statistic. My life is different because of Tom's story.

Tom was an elder in our church. And, he taught the 4th grade Sunday school class. He didn't have any of his kids in that class, they were older. He just loved to teach this age group. And, he was good.

Tom didn't use any curriculum the church could buy. He used his own. And, Tom had these 4th graders having quiet times with the Lord every day, all year. I saw some of these kids' notes from their times with the Lord. They were good.

So, if a 4th grader can have a quiet time every day, and a quality time with Jesus at that, why can't I. Ouch.

I have 3 kids. The oldest was about that age then. Hmmmm. If Tom can get these kids, who aren't his own, to have quiet times, why can't I teach my kids to have quiet times? I'm their father. I'm their (fearless) leader. Ouch.

Frank raised boys. Today, one's an orthopedic surgeon. He was the youngest to ever fellowhip under Dr. James Andrews. If you're a sports fan you know who Dr. James Andrews is in Atlanta. Another son went to SMU and majored in engineering. For kicks he stayed and went to law school there, too. Now he's an attorney for and oil and gas engineering firm doing great.

When my path crossed Frank's, and his boys' paths, I saw a man who always said "yes" to his boys unless he had a very good reason not to. Oh, they challenged that practice. He had to work hard to stay ahead of them and direct them in positive ways. He had to study hard to find out what the risks were to "yes". His sons love the Lord. And, they have vivid imaginations. They have both used the creativity their father cultivated in them at an early age to solve real big and bad problems as adults.

I try to always say "yes" to my kids when they ask me if they can try something. I come from a family where "no" was usually a very quick answer. It hasn't been easy. But, the Lord is with me. Okay, it's not like I'm trying be positive while I'm in prison like Joseph, but old habits die hard and I want my kids to turn out like Frank's boys. My life is different because of Frank's story. So are my kids' lives.

Jim wanted to know how his kids would handle the freedom of their first year of college. Jim is a pastor and you know what they say about Pastor's kids! Oh, and he raised 4 daughters, beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed lovers of Jesus, just like their mother.

So, Jim removed (almost) all their rules while they were seniors in high school. Talk about a high-wire act without a net. No curfew. Freedom. He told me that he wanted to be able to see how they handled the freedom while he still had the chance to talk to them about their choices. Of course, he always reserved the right to "adjust" their freedoms while they lived under his roof.

It worked beautifully. He sent his girls to state colleges and they continued to walk with the Lord and maintain good lifestyles.

I've tried this with 2 of my three so far. I have one more coming. My son flourished under the freedom. Best grades he's ever received during his senior year. My daughter went off to college and had done great. Found a great church, volunteers with YoungLife, has made great grades and great friends. Hmmmm. It seems to be working.

My life is different because of Jim's story, Frank's story and Tom's story. My kids are different than most of their peers for the same reason. These guys influenced more people than they will ever know this side of Heaven.

So, are you different? Who's close enough to notice?

Of Course We're Leaders; We're Men

We're men. We're leaders, right? Of course we're leaders. We're men.

I thought I'd start this post with a little poetry. What'd you think?

Me and the guys I've hung out with throughout my life have had numerous conversations on the topic of leadership. Discussing Paul and Titus prompted another pretty good discussion on the topic. There was Titus, having been sent by Paul, to do what Paul had done in other places.

So, am I really a leader? This is one of those questions that's easy to gloss over making huge assumptions while we move on to the 9th tee box. Okay guys, let's slow down for a minute or two.

Probably the most common answer I give to other guys as well as hear from them is, "Of course I'm a leader. I lead at home." Or, "Obviously, I'm a pastor." Really? Is it obvious?

Here's a better evaluative leadership question that God laid on me. Who's voluntarily doing what I am doing the way I'm doing it primarily because I do it that way?

I'm not talking about creating clones of myself or molding people into anyone's image other than Jesus. This is way simpler than that. I just know there are a number of characteristics in my life that the reason I do them the way I do them is because other men, Jesus-following guys, whom I respect, do them that way. I have put my own spin on these characteristics. But I do them because I've seen these guys do them and I wanted to build these characteristics into my life.

So, am I leading at home? Up until recently I was big enough to make my kids do what I wanted them to do. Now, not so much. They could hurt me, bad (even my daughter). I do have other motivators, but they're at the age when things go much better when they act voluntarily.

Anyway, back to the question at hand. They mow the way I mow. They drive the way I drive. They use a lot of the same words and gestures I use. And, if there's ever a good reason to temper the salty language that's it, isn't it?

But what about the really important stuff? Do they have quiet times the way I do it? Do they worship the way I worship? Do they walk with Jesus the way I walk with him? Do they treat their mother the way I treat her? Do my sons treat their girlfriends and sister the way I treat their mother? It doesn't take long to evaluate my kids' behavior to determine what kind of leader I am at home.

Are we leaders at church? Of course we are. We're all pastors, elders, group leaders, and ministry leaders. We have titles. And, we're men. So, what does having a title have to do with real leadership? There are lots of men who have titles and don't lead. There are lots of men (and women) who don't have titles and are amazing leaders.

At church, who is voluntarily doing what I do the way I do it primarily because I do it that way? Hmmmm. This won't take too long.

Maybe I should stop assuming that just because I'm a man, I have a family, I go to a church and have a title that I'm a leader. Maybe I need to honestly evaluate my life to determine if I exhibit any characteristics that any other guy would want to emulate in his own life?

I'm involved in a lot of stuff. My time gets gobbled up quickly. What environments am I in where I can pass on these characteristics? It's one thing to do good things and do them well. It's another thing to intend to pass them on to other guys.

I think every one of us wants to lead. I know we want to be seen as leaders. But no one will see us as a leader, and they certainly won't follow, unless we take a good look at ourselves first and figure out what these people see when they look at us.

So, men...are you a leader?

When Did We Start Saying 'No'?

What if we just said, 'no'? What if we all got together, collectively, and politely, but firmly told God, 'No, we aren't going to participate in your program anymore."

Beyond the extreme stupidity and foolishness, for arguement's sake, what if?

Would the Church stop growing and die? Would there be no conversions? Would church buildings built for thousands echo through the rafters as only hundreds sang? Would church buildings be sold so other businesses could occupy them like bars and such?

I would think the church would resemble a social club with noble social causes. A certain status would be attached to membership in that case. Appearances would be most important.

Of course, all the above is true and happening throughout the world to many churches. They are dying on the vine. It's not just limited to mainlines but it seems this is where it is happening most. And the church in Europe, where Western Christianity has it roots is fading fast.

These are churches. But, what about the Church? In Matthew 16:18 Jesus looked at Peter and said that he was going to build his Church and not even the gates of Hell would stop it. Yet, a large number of churches have been stopped.

If there's one message that comes from Genesis it's this, God program cannot be stopped. How many times did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and the boys mess up astronomically? Yet, God always gave them the opportunity and eventually they returned.

And, while they were gone, it didn't mess God up or his program. The only lives and programs they managed to mess up, and they messed them up royally, were their own.

God's grace always allows us to return. We return on our knees. He welcomes us and restores us. What's most amazing to me is the blessings are restored, too. When we walk with God and live our lives in close fellowship the blessings of peace, contentment, fulfillment and assurance are rich and strong.

God richly rewards those who walk with him and serve faithfully. Why would we say, 'no'?

Well, what do you think? Why do we say 'no'? Churches are drying up. Too many American churches are dying. Auditoriums built for thousands now echo with the voices of hundreds. There are few conversions. The number of Americans who claim to be atheist or agnostic has quadrupled since 1990. On an average weekend in 2005 only 17% of Americans attended a Christian church service. That's down 20% since 1990. When young people are asked of their impression about Christianity and Christians the ratio of negative to positive impressions is more than 2:1.

So, when did we start saying 'no'?

I doubt anyone I know personally is foolish enough to look straight at God and voice their opposition. At the same time, I think I know a lot of people who, through their actions, passively, vote 'no'. And, I would begin with myself when I choose to pursue my own way. God, don't bother me right now I want a little 'me' time.

Titus 1 has words like bondslave, entrusted, command, grace and peace.

When God welcomes us back and restores us he re-commissions us. The closer I walk with him the greater blessing I receive. And, he'll take me where I can perform the tasks he commanded me to do. When I walk away on my own, I have this dilusion that I can find greater blessings. The only life I mess up is my own.

I see over and over, in the OT and NT, God is collecting for himself a group of people. He's using people to do the work on his behalf. Those who do the work are blessed beyond measure. He is going to succeed. Why do we say 'no'?

So the real question is, am I going participate or am I in pursuit of a little 'me' time?

I Come Bearing Fruit

I have great friends. I have a neighbor who has a small garden in his backyard. I have another neighbor who rents garden space down by the river. They regularly drop off bags of whatever has ripened on their vines. I have another friend who occasionally drops off bags of whatever he just got done picking himself and loves to share with my family.

I also have a great wife. And can she ever cook! This time of year casseroles and cobblers filled with these fresh gifts from our friends are almost always in her oven . It's a wonder I'm not huge. My gym membership is a small price to pay to be able to enjoy the fruit from my friends' gardens and the talent of my wife's cooking. My stomach is never empty. It's always filled with good stuff! I think I have the gift of eating.

I have another friend who brings me fruit, too. I have bags and baskets full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Like so many, I have prayed for patience many times. What I've come to realize is I already have all the patience I need. Too often, I just leave it in the bag it came in and don't make use of the Holy Spirit's generosity. I have a full bag of patience on the counter and I'm still trying to manage my life on my own.

I have all that I need to live a full life. I just don't take it out of the bag and use it. So, I bring way too much frustration into my own life.

I have enough love for everyone. It's because it's God's love he has given me to share. Yet, I try performing on my own and wonder why people respond to me the way they do.

I have enough self-control for everything I encounter. So, why do I lose it so often? It's because I've left it in the bag.

I have enough peace for whatever life throws at me. So, why am I so stressed at night I can't sleep well? Exactly.

Joy? Again! Kindness? Yes! Goodness? Hello! And, so on.

The cobblers that could be made with the fruit God has given me could satisfy a lot of people. And, if we all, as Christ-followers made full use of the basketfuls that God has given all of us the world would be a different place. Too much of it sits unused in the bag it was delievered in.

If I may be honest, sometimes the Holy Spirit scares me. I don't understand him. I can't wrap my arms or my mind around him. I hear him and I feel him, but on his terms, not mine. That scares me.

The result of all this? I'm afraid to get too close to God because he might ask me to do something that will require more than I can muster. I'll have to use what he's given me. And, I'll have to use it the way he wants it used. It's embarrassing to not have control; humiliating. Submitting to another and admitting subserviance empties me of all my pride and fills me with....Oh wait. Again, isn't that the idea?

I have all that I need to live a full life. In order to be full, my life has to be emptied of my pride. I'm emptied when I have to submit and be subserviant.

When I willingly submit myself (bondslave) to God and perform what he has commanded me to perform applying the gifts he has given me, my life will reach the ultimate in fulfillment.

Hmmm. The way to be full begins with being empty. I'm hungry.

Extraordinarily Inadequate

When it comes to fixing things I'm worthless. Me and tools just don't get along. I've had my van break down in the middle of the night on a highway in the middle of nowhere with my young children fast asleep in the back. That's humiliating. I was at a loss. I didn't have a clue.

We were out with friends when they received a call from one of their daughters. Their 17-year old had a pet rabbit. She loved that rabbit. But something tragic had happened that night and the rabbit was dead and the 17-year old was sobbing.

As it turns out, their 8-year old had a friend over that evening and they were playing with the rabbit even though they had been told to leave it in its cage. The rabbit scratched the young friend and we're not exactly sure what happened next but the rabbit ended up not alive.

So, when my friends arrived home, their 17-year old was sobbing with grief, their 8-year old was sobbing with guilt, and their other daughters were sobbing sympathetically. The young friend was nowhere in sight, he had run home. How do you parent through that? I looked into the teary eyes of my friend, their dad, and the look he had in his eyes was one of total inadequacey.

Commanded by God to be a good father. Entrusted by God with a family. Like Joseph, given a vision of grown children who love the Lord and are serving him as adults. Yet, currently, completely inadequate for the task at hand.

God, help. I surrender. I can't do this.

Isn't that the point. Life takes us beyond our adequacies. Either we fake it or we admit it and cry for help. God speaks. He speaks through his word. He uses other believers to speak into our lives. He speaks directly. We learn and then are sent to the lab to apply it.

Faith is walking ahead as if I really believe I know what I'm doing. I'm not faking it. I trust God will give me the next word I need to say, the next step I need to take, the next question I need to ask or the next answer I need to give.

I am extraordinarily inadequate. God is extraordinary. I better stay close.

Snagged

A few years ago I stumbled across Joel 2:13-14. There I was, minding my own business, skimming a stone across the water of my bible. I really wasn't looking to go deep. It was just your basic, half-hearted attempt at a quiet time. I hadn't been in the OT for a while. So, I thought I'd do God the favor of a quick read through the minor prophets.

Snag. I wasn't going anywhere else anytime soon. We have rose bushes in our front yard. I'm terrible with roses. They require way too much attention. But a couple of times a year I get out and prune off the old buds. That should be done about weekly. Anyway, as I wade into the overgrown bushes it's inevitable; I end up giving about a pint of blood. When your skin gets snagged by a thorn you stop immediately. It gets your undivided attention. When I read these verses I had to stop and unsnag my heart. God had my attention.

"Change your heart, not your clothes." I am a professional clothes-changer. Don't try this at home. I've been around the church block a number of times and I know how to give the appearance of a spiritual life. And, if I do say so myself, I think I'm pretty good at it. Of all the things to be good at, right?

Then, from time to time my heart gets snagged on a thorn. God gets my attention. I thought I had been doing such a good job of covering up what my heart was really about. No one else knew. Why did God have to make such a big deal out of it?

He did it because he loves me. I don't realize the harm I'm doing to myself. He does. So he strategically places thorns in places I'm walking. God loves me so much that he won't let me self-destruct without a fight.

God gets my attention. And Jesus puts on his servant's clothes and dresses my wound so that it heals. Jesus makes me whole again.

I hate verses like this. I love verses like. this. Who knows, he may have pity on me and leave behind a blessing. I can only hope.

Can God Trust Me?

I am entrusting 2 of my kids to colleges. I have expectations of my children and of the schools. If I were to entrust you with my car I would expect you to use it for what it is intended and take better care of it then you do your own.

God entrusted Paul with preaching to reveal his Word in an appointed time. God certainly has expectations of his Word. And, he has clearly expressed expectations of Paul, too.

What about me? According to Acts 1:8 I have been given power for the purpose of being a witness of the Word. Understanding that the Word involves Jesus himself (John 1:1), creation through Armageddon and beyond, the written word, spoken word directly from the Holy Spirit, the life-changing message of the gospel, salvation and every essence of a personal relationship with God. The Word works. It gives life. Do I?

One of us (Jerry) offered the idea that the future of the church is dependent on us. True. Now, let's not overreact here. God does not need us. He could say the "Word" and the work would be done. But he chooses to use us to accomplish is plan. Thus, he has entrusted to us the work of spreading the Word.

There's a lot of this that I just didn't ask for. I didn't ask for the responsibility it was given to me. But, I didn't know to ask for all the benefits of the blessing, either. They were just given to me. How can accept the blessing and not the responsibility? It seems way too easy. I guess that's grace.

I am supposed to be a conduit for all of this. Psalm 67 says, basically, may God bless me so that the whole world knows and they will praise him, too. I am a conduit for the Word and the blessings that go with him. How am I doing? I appreciate my mom and my friends falling all over themselves to assure me I'm doing great (I'm sure they are right now as they read this!) But, what about those who aren't so close? Are they blessed with Life because I am a conduit for the Word?

I suppose what's true for me is also for most all of you reading this. As a body, we'll all demonstrate the Word to people in different ways. Some will speak it. Some will show it. Some will serve it with a lasagna or a freshly cut lawn.

At one point God seemed to think I was trustworthy. It seems he still does. I probably question myself more he does.

Can God trust you?

Where Are My Fog Lights?

The most important promise I've ever made is "to love, honor, and lead; for better or for worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part." Most of the time this is an easy promise for me to keep. Sometimes, however.... And, those times that I just don't feel like it, well, too bad for me. It's not that I can't. It might get hard from time to time. But, I can keep that promise.

God has made a much bigger, more imporant promise to me than I have ever made to anyone else. Any doubts I have about this promise are not because I don't know if he's strong enough. My doubts are based on my inability to figure it out. I don't know what he'll do. I don't know how he'll do it. I don't know if it will really turn out for my best in the long run. So, just in case, I ought to figure something out on my own. You can guess how that turns out.

God has promised me an abundant life for eternity. It's a life of peace, contentment, and joy. These are given in a quantity that far exceed minimal basics, it's abundant. And, all this was given to me the moment I believed. This life is not held aside until I die. I live now. So, why don't I always feel like I have this abundant life? I'm lost in a fog. If it's really here, why can't I see it?

My knowledge needs to grow. Not my knowledge of what, how or how it will turn out; but my knowledge of God needs to grow. I'm missing out on "life" not because God didn't deliver it, but because something is lacking in me. I am my own fog machine. God promised it. He delievered it. It's right here.

It makes sense, if my knowledge of God grows I see more clearly. So, all the time I'm producing my own blinding fog, at the same time I'm trying to find the switch to turn on my fog lights. Why don't I just hang close to God do what He is leading me to do and let the fog clear up?

Oh to live a life where fog lights are unnecessary!