Christmas Is for Those Who Hate It Most

Matt B. Redmond has written what I consider a significant article by the same title I named this article. I encourage you to go read it.

The reason I say it's a significant is because of the reason for Christmas. I know we say that Jesus is the reason for the season. This is true. It's a bit more thoughtful to point to the gospel and recognize that the incarnation of Christ is central to the gospel. But Christ Himself said that "[He] came not to call the righteous but sinners" (Mark 2:7). It is the righteous who seem to know best the meaning of Christmas.

But we all know that the Holiday season is a time of great sorrow for many. They aren't sorrowful because of the celebration of the coming of Christ. They are sorrowful because particular needs are made poignant by the excess of commercial celebration that fails to assuage the ills of this world. These people have no particular love for the season of Christmas. Yet it is precisely for these people that Christ came.

From Matt Redmond's article, a list of people for whom Christ came:

Jesus’ first recorded worshipers were not of the beautiful class. They were poor, ugly shepherds, beat down by life and labor. They had been looked down on over many a nose.

• Jesus came for those who look in the mirror and see ugliness.
• Jesus came for daughters whose fathers never told them they were beautiful.
• Christmas is for those who go to “wing night” alone.
• Christmas is for those whose lives have been wrecked by cancer, and the thought of another Christmas seems like an impossible dream.
• Christmas is for those who would be nothing but lonely if not for social media.
• Christmas is for those whose marriages have careened against the retaining wall and are threatening to flip over the edge.
• Christmas is for the son whose father keeps giving him hunting gear when he wants art materials.
• Christmas is for smokers who cannot quit even in the face of a death sentence.
• Christmas is for prostitutes, adulterers, and porn stars who long for love in every wrong place.
• Christmas is for college students who are sitting in the midst of the family and already cannot wait to get out for another drink.
• Christmas is for those who traffic in failed dreams.
• Christmas is for those who have squandered the family name and fortune—they want “home” but cannot imagine a gracious reception.
• Christmas is for parents watching their children’s marriage fall into disarray.

We celebrate with gifts, and such bear the mark of Christmas in that Christ is the greatest gift. However, Christmas gifts with no message of the coming of Christ are given in vain. Give a gift of hope this season to someone who really needs it - someone who may not be particularly comfortable to be around because of their lowly state. But it is for such as these that Christ came.

...and read the whole article.

HT: Justin Taylor

Are You Overextended in Ministry? Then Train Your Replacement

It's too common for ministers to become overextended. Too many horror stories of pastor's families going without their father have been repeated over the years by countless family members. There's a reason that the term "Preacher's Kid" has a stigma to it.

Additionally, there's a reason that there is abundant council to ministers who "burn out". Some even suffer various emotional a physical breakdowns. How often do you see your pastor obligatorily attending every event in the church or even feeling the need to lead every event in the church? Do you have events so large at your church that some staff members or other ministers stay up to all hours at the church, even for weeks before the event, in preparation?

This pattern doesn't just go for pastors or other staff members. Most churches can identify perhaps 20% of their congregation who do perhaps 80% of the volunteer work in the church. When someone is identified as an achiever of sorts, they are asked to do the work. It's easy to seek out those who are known to accomplish a lot of work in order to enlist their efforts in the newest endeavors. These people too often burn out as well. The all-too-common counsel for them is that they need to learn to say "no".

Some people have trouble saying "no" because they believe that the work won't get done if they don't do it themselves. The problem with this is that it indicates a deep-seated distrust of other people. Often this trust is not unfounded. That is, there have been times when they enlisted the help of someone else who failed them. So they gave up trusting other people. These super-ministers have all the experience to best accomplish the task because they have learned from their failures and know how it's supposed to be done so that there is no failure. The problem is that they don't see any success beyond anyone else's failure.

If you do the ministry of ten people, then you have taken the responsibility to minister away from nine other Christians. Is it not a better ministry to disciple others to do the excess minstry you have on your plate?

And in order to do this, you have to allow others the opportunity to fail so that they learn the same way you did.

The Meekness of Moses

Moses considered himself "meek" (Numbers 12:3) and in the same context God called him "faithful" (Numbers 12:7). What does "meek" and "faithful" look like from the account of Miriam and Aaron's detraction against Moses in Numbers 12?

This was the same Moses who had become content to keep sheep in the land of Midian but had been called by God to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to Canaan and to give them the law. This was the same Moses who came down out of the mountain, tablets in hand, only to find the Israelite worshiping a golden calf; and he ground the calf to bits and made the Israelites drink it; and he had three thousand of the Hebrews killed for it. Does this sound like a meek man?

In Numbers 11 Moses had just petitioned God to have some of the people help him bear their burdens and God had granted his request as one that was reasonable. After this, Moses' older siblings, Miriam and Aaron, apparently find fault with Moses for marrying a woman of a different people. However, their complaint ends up being an attack on Moses for having a power over the people that they don't have. Their real issue was their own desire for power. Consider that Aaron was already chief over all the priests and had stood with Moses before Pharaoh through the plagues. Aaron was no insignificant man. Yet his sinful flesh desired more for himself.

When Miriam and Aaron came out against Moses, we read nowhere that Moses spoke one word in his defense. Except that Moses had this account written, he doesn't stick up for himself. Instead, God calls Miriam and Aaron to task and defends his calling of Moses. He punishes them, Miriam in particular with leprosy. But Aaron repents and Moses pleas for her healing.

So Moses is faithful to defend God even by the edge of the sword. But he is meek in that he does not defend himself. Christ did this also who defended his disciples against the false teachings of the Pharisees but did not defend himself against the charges brought against him. If he did anything he fled as though on the lam until the appointed time to be delivered into their hands. Paul was also faithful to defend the young churches under his discipleship against false teachers but did not defend himself when attacked. The only time Paul sought a defense was through an appeal to Caesar to defend him as a citizen of Rome by birth. But he did not defend himself. He made the occasional reference to his calling as one of the apostles, not to defend his calling however but to establish his teaching about God.

So we must have a heart of boldness in faithfully ministering God's truth, especially in the gospel, but a heart of meekness in relying on God for defense against detractors.

What's the Line Between Initiative and Presumptuousness?

No one has perfect motives.

All Christians are called to some function within the Body of Christ for which we are told we must take initiative.

Many initiate things that are contrary to their calling. This is presumptuous.

If we are to take the seat of least honor so that we are called to a seat of greater honor (Luke 14) and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3) then that presumes that we can think to highly of ourselves.

Do some not say that we would have a burning in our heart for our calling? That seems rather visceral.

So then, what's the line between initiative and presumptuousness?

I dare someone to answer (and I doubt anyone will).

There are two tracks of reason: Either: (1) we must have accountability from godly friends; or (2) God accounts for our presumptuousness;

...or both.

I heard a message recently that encouraged each Christian to have in their lives at any given time a "Paul" (mentor), a "Barnabus" (peer), and a "Timothy" (apprentice). What if a Christian lacks all three and lacks the capacity to obtain them? Doesn't God know we have this need and would provide? What if he goes for a long time without providing?

Well, if he doesn't provide then he doesn't require.

Therefore, either you are presumptuous as you bumble around trying to figure out what God wants you to do and trying a little bit of everything or you just have to sit back and never take the initiative on anything. That doesn't sound right, but there is no other conclusion.\

So I ask again:

What's the line between initiative and presumptuousness?

Cookie Jar Christians and Broken Christians

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:36-50)

I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm amazed at the righteousness many have had throughout their lives. Many of them are leaders in churches, missions and other various ministries of extraordinary impact. They accepted Christ at a young age and recognized God's call to a particular mission in their life at which they may serve for most of their lives to great distinction. They are surrounded by people of great spiritual means and thoroughly networked. God has indeed raised them up to accomplish great things for his kingdom.

There are also people who have achieved great feats of righteousness and serve locally without distinction.

Sometimes I wish I was one. So far, my kids look to be these kind of Christians. Their worst sins amount to stealing cookies from a cookie jar. I call them "cookie jar Christians".

There's one drawback to cookie jar Christians.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

And we see that even Christ was able to help those who fell into sin.

Cookie jar Christians must know they are pretty righteous. How can they not? When confronted by a tender soul who has been crushed by a life of sin and pain, cookie jar Christians typically must condescend in order to minister at all. They often treat such people with an air of spiritual superiority and you know they can't help but to know how much better they are than them.

Now, I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't intend to disparage cookie jar Christians. It's wonderful that they are good enough that their focus is on helping others in the name of Christ, but there's a point at which they have to recognize that they simply can't relate to the struggle of someone who has been deep in sin.

However, some cookie jar Christians become a bit legalistic and refuse to help without some sign of repentance up front lest they become sullied in some way by associating with the sinner.

Most cookie jar Christians will be bold against the sins of the sinner, but not let up until repentance is gained. Thinking then that the job is done, they go about their business without taking the time to disciple the sinner. Busy Christians don't have that kind of time to invest in someone, especially when the sinner is not one of their inner circle of cookie jar Christian friends.

When a cookie jar Christian commits to discipling a sinner, however, the difficulty lies in not being able to address the struggles of the flesh that a sinner can undergo. The cookie jar Christian just hasn't had that experience. For example, a cookie jar Christian may tell a sinner to "just run to God!" (I've actually heard this advice given.) What does that even mean?

Then there are sinners who have been forgiven. I call these "broken Christians". God uses people who have come from bad family situations, deep-seated patterns of sin, abuse, racial prejudice, difficult illnesses, war, or any of a multitude of things that break a soul. Christians who come from these situations may, over time, become no better than cookie jar Christians. They forget their past. In a way, a broken Christian can give thanks for healing. In another way, such scars allow a broken Christian to meet a sinner who has not come to Christ and see the hope of salvation for the sinner as a person not unlike the broken Christian once was.

God uses broken Christians to work the difficult parts of the field in the harvest. They may not reap the apparently best stuff like the cookie jar Christians. However, their toil is of great value for they do it at the Master's behest and with his tender care for the harvest.

I write this to encourage my fellow broken Christians to use this gift to reach those like you once were.

But if you are a cookie jar Christian, I know it is difficult for you because you are superior in holiness to your brothers and sisters in Christ who are broken Christians, but I urge you to support and encourage them in their ministerial endeavors. Do not marginalize them or relegate them to the lower places in the church leadership, but learn from them what it is to love a sinner like Christ did.

What Body Part Are You - and Why?

Are you part of the Body of Christ? Think about your place in the Body. What is your role? What are you inclined to focus on with regard to fulfilling the purposes of God?

We each have a function. The metaphor of the Church as a human body isn't particularly designed to encompass one-for-one all the possible, or even just the necessary, functions within the Church, or even within a church, to be matched with specific body parts. Nevertheless, this might be a good thought experiment.

Know also that if you're not part of the Body of Christ, you can't answer this question.

For myself, I have to look at the places I minister.

I'm intelligent. Does that make me a part of the brain? Not necessarily.
I'm a family man who husbands his wife and feeds his kids on the Word of God. Does that make me a mammary gland? In some ways, perhaps.
As a musician, videographer, and other various technical assistant who desires to help others commune with God in worshiping Him, could I be a mouth or voice, ear or arms to reach with? I don't know.
I pray. Does that make me a nerve to connect the Body with the mind of God?

In my office at work I have two computers, each with screensavers that have a significant number of missions photos that rotate through. One computer has photos of our most recent trip to Venezuela. The other has photos of our most recent trip to London. I enjoy seeing photos and hearing accounts of missions activities around the world. I have a list of missionaries I pray for that include Steve in Trinidad/Tobago, Paulas in Nepal, Mari Daniel in India, the McLellands mission in Uganda, Darrin in Russia, G&M, BJ&K (in sensitive places), and Sam's trips to teach discipleship in various places, just to name a few. I also keep in prayer the people who minister to the sex slaves in Southeast Asia and the Chinese evangelists who are crossing into the -stans, although I don't who they are.

I like to open up Google Earth just to find places around where people live. I love being able to see some of the photos in panoramio to see what these places look like. I wish I could be everywhere at once. It's entirely an unrealistic dream, but my heart is with the people of God wherever they may be. There's a song I know that I rarely can get through without choking up. It's called Here I Am. The refrain is this:

Here I Am, Lord,
It is I, Lord,
I have heard you calling in the night,
I will go, Lord,
If you lead me,
I will hold your people in my heart.

So, barring that I can't be everywhere at once, I'll go wherever the Lord provides and dream of the people I can't go to keeping them in my prayers. And when i go, I go to offer them hope, life and whatever they need to help add new people to the Body.

So all things considered, within the Body of Christ, I'm blood.

What Body part are you?

The Land of Opportunity - Knowing Your Boundaries

My church has a Wednesday night teaching ministry called Equipping University. We offer a variety of classes, most of which are theologically oriented, some are missions or ministry oriented, yet others are geared toward living the Christian life. I've always been drawn to the theology and evangelism classes. However, most of what is taught are things I already know, so it's come to be more of a series of refresher courses than anything. However, this semester I've started attending a course on establishing personal boundaries. This class helps students understand what we are responsible for and what we are not.

I've heard many Christians bemoan the spiritual state of the union of the United States. Many of these same people also bemoan the spiritual state of the "Church" in the United States. I hear such things commonly uttered as the following:

"If people would only turn back to God this would be a great nation again."
"The Church needs to stand up for what is right."
"If the Church hadn't let them take prayer out of the schools..."
"We need to elect godly people to the highest offices of the United States."
"We need a revival in the Church."

These comments are well and good, but combined they don't make much sense. I want a country that's nice to live like any other. I want my family to be safe. I want to have all kinds of opportunities to do the kind of work I love and the freedom to pursue my happiness and comfort.

The problem is this: God's people, whether the Hebrews as we read of them in the Old Testament or the Church, has never thrived well spiritually in such an environment for any significant amount of time in history. Where the living is good in this world, the concerns for the Kingdom of Heaven wane. While all things are possible with God, He is most glorified when His people demonstrate faith, hope, joy and love through hardship. It's not important the material gifts that God gives, but the spiritual gifts.

We can tell people the truth of God, but we cannot make them accept it. We can pass laws in the government, but we cannot make people follow them. Our actions and speech affects other people, but we cannot be held responsible for their actions. We can be responsible to someone else, but not responsible for someone else (I'm not talking about our young children). That's the first rule of setting good boundaries. I learned that in my class.

Furthermore, we cannot reasonably expect to grow the church in faith and complain about ghosts of persecution. It is typically persecution that purifies the church. Who do we fear? Do we fear those who would persecute us or the One who gives them the power to do so? The One who gives them the power to persecute us is also the one who is strengthening us through the ordeal. He also suffered persecution to the point of a horrible death.

I have prayed for opportunities to serve our Lord and He has opened up several doors in a very short period of time. There's no way that I can do all of them and each one has difficult hurdles that must be overcome. Three involve full-time missions overseas. Two involve staying here, but effectively leaving my church to serve in another, keeping in mind that I have some ministry there already.

One practical application of boundaries is in being able to say no, which I must do to at least 4 of these opportunities. I think God is trying to teach me something about boundaries. More importantly, I think He's trying to teach me how to better trust all of my opportunities to the One who is truly in charge.

The Offensive Cross - A Bloody Service

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

The Offensive Crucifixion

Have you ever seen some of the remarkable cross designs people have made over the ages? There are beautiful crosses all over the place. Through the efforts of Christian artisans, it has become a popular design element in even secular design circles.

However, the crucifixion is offensive. It is bloody. It is gory. Say what you will about Mel Gibson’s The Passion, but his violent portrayal of the torture and crucifixion of Christ is rather more accurate than we’ve seen before.

Would we consider an iron maiden an aesthetically pleasing design element? Perhaps we would if we were the Addams family. It would be weird to hang a tiny guillotine around our neck or wear electric chairs as earrings.

Are we Jews or gentiles? Is the crucifixion a stumbling block or foolishness? Where it is offensive to anyone, it should especially be offensive to Christians. Why? Because that’s where our sin is. Are we not offended by our sin? We should be, and more than anyone else. The wages of sin is death. That’s the horrible death we deserve. It’s offensive.


Messy Servanthood

But we must find God’s wisdom in such offensiveness. If Christ is the revelation of the Father, then the crucifixion as His crowning achievement among us is definitive of the nature of God. Few understand this: if God is eternal and absolute, then there are no bounds to His existence. (Properly, He is substantial or essential, but this is meaningless if you haven’t studied philosophy.) His eternal nature is creative. We would expect that He would only create eternal things, since He is eternal, and that which he creates would be harmonious and integral to His own existence. What is incomprehensible is that God created that which was not Himself. He created a temporal world, ours. In no way is He diminished by this, but now exists something that is not God, although its foundation is in His substance.

Inasmuch as Christ is the author of life, there can be no death in Him – yet He died. (Is it any wonder that he was resurrected?) This is the revelation of God’s sacrifice in creation. Inasmuch as all things were created through Christ, they are recreated through Him. Consider if you will a cloud of particles, if it were possible, that all absolutely sought their own purpose to the exclusion of every other particle. The cloud would disperse and have no unity. Consider the same cloud of particles that all absolutely served one another before themselves. They would be unified and bound together in common purpose. Is God not absolutely unified? Then would the unified cloud not more accurately reflect His nature? Sacrificial service is foundational to God’s eternal nature.

How much then, if we are to imitate our Lord, should we imitate His sacrifice in service to each other? I’m not saying we should seek death on a cross. What I’m asking is how much do we bear one another’s burdens?

My wife came home from a Mothers Of Preschoolers class once where some messy projects were taught. If I recall correctly, the phrase offered where children are concerned was, “embrace the mess.” I have 3 active kids, four animals, and a small house. It matters not how much you clean, there will always be a mess somewhere in the house. Raising kids are that way.

We’re all kids of a sort. Adults have the same silly attitudes as children. We have simply learned how to be more sophisticated in how we manifest these in our behavior:

“Mine!” “No, mine!” (Possessiveness)

“Huh uh!” “Uh huh!” (Personal preference determines belief resulting in false presuppositions later in life.)

“I know you are but what am I?” (Self-righteousness)

“I wanna do it myself!” (Promptly spills milk all over the counter. False self-reliance in adults stifles cooperation and limits productivity.)

No, but rather if we seek to bear one another’s burdens, we must be prepared to get involved with each other’s messes:

“Oh – spilled the milk all over the counter again, did you?”

What do we say afterward? Do we ignore it or say, “Have fun cleaning that up?” Or do we say, “Let me help you with that?”

When the mess is serious sin, are we so inclined to offer the same help with the understanding that such help may involve discipline? Perhaps we are dealing with a murderer or adulterer. Perhaps a person has been exposed to horrible things and has serious emotional problems. Are we willing to embrace the mess for the sake of the ministry of the gospel?

If you work with bees to obtain the sweetness of the honey, expect to be stung on occasion. We often don’t like to get involved with difficult people and situations because we rightly perceive that we could be harmed or even condemned by association. Christ was condemned because He kept company with sinners. That is a cross we are called to bear. It’s offensive to us and to all who observe.

Embrace the mess, even if we get bloody. That’s our service.

Is There a Friend in the House?

Someone is hurt at a convention. People rush to assist and the call is made: "Is there a doctor in the house?" Someone has a heart attack and the call for and ambulance is made. The house is burning and the call is made for fire fighters to bring their trucks and extinguish it.

There's a truly spooky commercial I hear on the radio a few times a day. A sea of voices say, "We are your friends." A few of those voices say, "We are the friends you work with." A few others say, "We are the friends you hang out with in Saturday night." This goes on through a few iterations. If I heard voices like that, I always think to myself, I'd have to check myself into the mental ward. Just then a single voice announces herself in so many words as the friend who is your psychiatric counselor. I knew it was coming. It's a public service announcement or some such encouraging people to support their friends who are having emotional problems. I always ask myself, what if the person having emotional problems doesn't have any close friends? Perhaps the call should be made for a friend. Thus the title of this post.

Some recent cartoons:



It's better that someone yell at you like Violet just did to Charlie Brown than to be ostracized by someone who tries not to hurt your feelings by it. That's the southern way, the sickeningly sweet, "Bless his heart."



I really identify with that poor apteryx. I couldn't say in person the things I'm able to type; and if I actually get the chance, I get so nervous I have trouble speaking and forming words. I practice talking to people when no one is listening so I'll have something coherent to say when the time comes. Pathetic, no?


The only person who calls me on my cell phone is my wife. I know other people have my number, but they generally never call. What does that say?

Well, I do have friends. In general, they're not overly close friends. My closest friends outside of my marriage are found on the Internet. I can hear the argument now: get off the computer and go out and make some real live friends. It doesn't happen easily for me, and I suspect that it doesn't happen easily for many of the people who may read this. Generally, people like to keep me at arm's length. I'm the kind of guy who can walk into a crowded room, meander to the corner and stand there alone. Some people may say hello and go on their way to another more interesting person. I see other people who can walk into a crowded room and not be able to make it to the corner without being swamped with people vying for their attention. Charisma is a mysterious thing.

I also know that many who read this are the type of people I just described: people who don't know what loneliness is. They've never felt the hopelessness of not being able to express themselves and be understood. They don't know what it's like not to have people who value their opinion enough to seek it out or to have people the number of which is significant enough to trust their leadership.

I wrote this post for both types of people. Listen to David Moss teach from Hebrews 10:24,25

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The obvious message is to those who have more than their fair share of cool charisma. Be on the lookout for those watching from a lonely corner of the room who are NOT vying for your attention. They are the walking wounded. If you ask them if they need anything, they may be like the apteryx and not know what to say. If so, they need immediate attention. A person having a heart attack may not die anytime soon if nothing is done, but they need immediate medical attention. The socially inept need a friend like a heart attack patient needs to be tested to see if they need a stint, medication or bypass surgery.

The other side of the message is to my fellow lonesome doves. The tendency for those of us who have less than our fair share of cool charisma, when our condition wears on us, is to isolate ourselves. There is no shame in asking for help. It is the call for a friend as one who needs a physician for a physical ailment. If you call for your fellow Christians, they should respond. If they don't, God will be their judge.

I can hear another argument: we should be satisfied with the friends that God has given us - or the lack thereof. This is like saying that we should be satisfied with no food. Humans are design by God to be social creatures. As such, we need other people. I can hear another argument: we need to change in order to attract others. How, precisely? I've not a clue. I hear people keep a group of people enthralled when they talk about themselves. I do that and people tune me out. The only way I can keep a conversation is to get other people to talk about themselves. Then they go away. The arguments for the less than socially astute to be different don't fly.

Now, I must be fair. I'm not unliked. Actually, many people hold me in high esteem. They just don't con how to connect with me on my level and it intimidates them. I don't know how to connect with them until I know better how they respond to certain behavioral patterns and simplify my approach. However, I know people who are pretty much ignored. These are people I try to reach out to.

Are you reaching out? Are you lonely and need a friend? Are you reaching out to your Christian brothers or sisters as though to call for a doctor? Are you endowed with more friends than you have time for? Try reaching out to someone who drives off the people who only hang around for what they can get out of a friendship.

Pygmalion's Presumption - Confidence in Ministers

I watched My Fair Lady the other night. Toward the end of the movie, Eliza Dolittle returns and observes that Henry Higgins treats her like a flower girl (in this context a street urchin) and Colonel Pickering treats her like a lady. She demonstrated Henry's success in her attitude and resolve and Henry demonstrated his childish demeanor in his attempt at superiority.

Henry Higgins was clearly the master of his household and highly respected in the community despite his childish arrogance. He was capable of doing many great things as a result of others' perception of him.

Eliza was a remarkable demonstration of his capabilities. Eliza herself could pull off community respect because of what Henry had done for her. However, she had nothing but mere behavior to back it up. The behavior was enough to fool other people, but her background was that of a mere flower peddler on the streets. On some level some respectability was given with the attempt to straighten her father out, but she didn't have the upbringing of the noblewoman she had been taught to behave like. Nevertheless, even in her low upbringing there was a certain nobility of character that was evident when she learned the etiquette to express her noble intentions within a proper social context.

Do we see ministers who are effective yet not mature Christians? They appear mature because they socialize well. Do we see mature Christians who are not effective ministers because they do not socialize well? (After all, Henry expected Eliza to yet be his servant.) Often the difference has to do with the difficulty of sanctification. The wise are often given wisdom because of the wealth of foolish things they have done. They have often run headlong into the walls of the dark room of this world and have a good idea the size and aspect of the room. A fool stands where he is and declares confidently that he is in the center of the room without having found the walls. He attracts a crowd of believers yet remains a fool.

The confidence of the fool is in himself even if he believes otherwise. The confidence of the wise is in the one who has forgiven him. Too many people are attracted to self-confidence. Eliza had no confidence in herself. She was taught merely to behave confidently; her confidence was in Henry's teaching. Henry had no confidence in Eliza. Henry had every confidence in himself - because others had confidence in him. Eliza learned some self-confidence when others had confidence in her.

To my fellow Christians:
In whom do you have confidence? Is your confidence in the Lord? Do you build up ministers in Christ by having confidence in the Lord's ability to minister through them? If you seek to build up a minister, are you looking for someone who is already a minister or someone who could be if only confidence was placed in them? Do they lack confidence in themselves yet have every confidence in the Lord?

What is your place in building up the church?

Jesus: More Than Sunday

Why is it that men's ministry in most churches goes through cycles where it is revived with some event designed to elicit participation in meetings or fun activities of some sort and quickly devolves into meeting on a Saturday to listen to a civil leader of some sort or mow somebody's yard? Now listening to civil servants or mowing people's yards are not bad per se, but men do not easily gather to hold each other accountable to spiritual growth and the pursuits of righteousness.

This past Friday, perhaps 250 men met for steak dinner, worship, three talks given by our ministerial staff, and a call to commit to personal Bible study and to become the spiritual leaders of our homes and families according to God's call. Offered for a continuing ministry is one-on-one discipleship, Bible study in small men's groups and a class series in our Equipping University. Each table for the meal was led by a deacon or other spiritual leader in the church. They will be following up with the men at their table to encourage them in fulfilling their commitment to God and their families.

These are the links to the three talks:

Skip Cartin Reading Your Bible: A Man's Magnificent Obession (Proverbs 2) MP3 5.58 MB (24:23)
Brian Burgess How to Have a Quiet Time (Psalm 119) MP3 8.99 MB (39:17)
Jeff Spry Family Devotions: Being the Spiritual Leader of Your Home MP3 9.63 MB (42:04)

Have you considered the likes of Abraham or Moses? These great men of faith merely fulfilled the purpose to which God called them. He's calling you to fulfill the purpose He has given to you. Become the spiritual leader in your home. Open up the scriptures and study them on your own. Then open up the scriptures and study them with your wife and children. Put a plan into practice for doing these things and your home will be transformed.

The Value of a Man - A Parable

The value of a man is like a good man that has two $100 bills. Thirsty, he purchases a bottle of rainwater for $1, but the water seller doesn't have $99 in change so the good man tells him to keep the change. Later, he meets an elderly man who possesses a jewel of great worth. The old man tells him that robbers are threatening to come and take the jewel from him. Having belonged in his family for generations the jewel is priceless to him, but he has no children to whom to pass it. He gives it to the good man to keep, desiring that it not fall into the hands of evil men. Honored, the good man gives the old man his second $100 bill.

Who determines that the bills are worth $100?
Which $100 is worth more to the good man?
Which $100 bill are you?
How do you spend your $100 bills? (goats and sheep)

Does High-Profile Ministry Equate to Significance?

The ministry event is accomplished. While many pitched in and helped there was one person who spent hours upon hours working hard to pull it off. “Chris” was the driving force behind the team. The Sunday after the event, the pastor mentions the success of the event and announces the great sacrifice of time, effort and stress that Chris offered that made the difference between success and failure. The whole congregation erupts in applause and floods Chris with accolades afterward. Later, when a leader is sought to head up another important ministry, Chris will be a good candidate. After all, Chris is successful in high-profile ministry. Chris is… significant.

“Jean” has worked for years in the nursery. She has changed the diapers of a full two-thirds of the congregation. She experiences corporate worship no more than four or five times a year. Few besides the young parents and grandparents see her on a regular basis. The pastor’s kids have long since grown and gone and not even the pastor’s wife knows what Jean is up to. Jean also visits her own mother in the nursing home most days and some evenings. She sits with her although her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother often doesn’t recognize her. Her mother’s roommate knows Jean and welcomes the relatively more sentient company. Jean receives no accolades. As far as most everyone is concerned, Jean’s ministry isn’t really all that significant.

What is significance? Is it the effectiveness of a ministry? It can be argued that Chris’ work is more significant because more people were affected by one big event than even Jean’s changing diapers over the years. Is significance determined by public opinion? This is influenced by public visibility. Chris gets all sorts of encouragement. Surely that’s a sign of significance. Few, if any, notice or care what Jean does. She has received little to no encouragement over the years. Why continue with no affirmation? After all, don’t we often consider affirmation from others a sign that we are doing what we need to do?

Recently Steve at Stand to Reason Blog pondered this. Please read his Christmas experience here.

I suppose it would be helpful to know what God finds to be significant. Let’s look at Matthew 25:31-46.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

I encourage any who read this to consider the significance of those ministering around them according to Christ’s criteria here. Go ahead and encourage someone in a high profile ministry, but how much more should we encourage those who labor out of sight in situations that are less than desirable. Are you willing to touch people with the love of Christ when those people can bring you no glory among others?