And The Crown Is Past or Will You Wear It Proudly?

The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors even to David. - 1 Samuel 28:17b

I woke up this morning feeling as though something my heart longed for was missing. I soon realized it was found in my work; I'm simply not being compensated for my work. I'm patted on the back. I'm given oral accolades but no dinero!

It has affected so much of my life. I should say, I've allowed it to affect so much of my life. It has even created perceived affects that make me question my relationships with the people who profess to love me.

I have come to believe our work, the pattern of our life, including relationships, the Body of Christ with whom we worship, the people God puts in our path, they are all a part of our personal calling.Within our calling is the anointing of God on our life. You might feel more comfortable with your life purpose. It is with our calling where we wear our crown.

When God anoints a person, a pattern of trials and circumstances appears to take place at specific times in their life. God often takes each of us through what I identify as four test forms. He does so to determine how (not if) we will walk out His call throughout our life. Our response to these forms of testing provide a sort of set of gates through which we can advance to the next level of responsibility in God's Kingdom and our relationship with Him. The farther along we get, the deeper the relationship to Him. The more He shines through us and the more we resemble Him.

I am not sure if they are ordered just this way. I can imagine they are not. However, my experience, and my reading on the subject of God's will both biblically and extra-biblically point to these four being present for each one of us who names Jesus Christ as Lord.

Here they are:

Self-Control/God-Control - In the scripture above the one being spoken to is King Saul. He spent most of his time as king trying to prevent others from getting what he had. Saul never reached a place with God in which he was a grateful recipient of God's goodness to him either for the unique relationship he had with God or what God had blessed him with in the natural.

Saul did not live with an abundance mentality.

This might have been because he did not live in a time where this was a popular notion. He embraced the grasping, selfish, "survival of the fittest" attitude. By the way, historically, it has not often been the case in any time where a people felt they were a part of abundance either spiritually or physically. However, Saul was a religious as well as secular controller. This control led to disobedience and ultimately being rejected by God because Saul no longer was a vessel God could use.

Bitterness - Every major character in the Bible was deeply hurt by others that were close to them. Jesus was hurt deeply when Judas, a trusted follower, betrayed Him. Perhaps more hurtful was the way his own family and Peter treated Him however. In the case of Judas, despite knowing this was going to happen, Jesus responded by washing Judas' feet. Every anointed leader will have a Judas experience at one time or another. God watches us to see how we will respond to this test. Will we take up an offense? Will we become jaded toward others? Will a severe hurt drive us to a place where love, caring, concern and the ability to love inspire of heartache plague our lives? Will we retaliate? It is one of the most difficult tests to pass. You will be required, most likely more than once to see yourself beyond your emotional heartache in order to fulfill God's greatest joy and purpose in your life.

Power - Power, and more precisely the lording over through its use, is the opposite of the general call on every Jesus believers life. That call is to servanthood. Jesus had all authority in Heaven and earth, so satan tempted Jesus at the top of the mountain to use this authority, this power, to remove Himself from a difficult circumstance. How will we use the position, influence and a superior advantage(s) that God has entrusted to us? Do we seek to gain more? There is a common phrase in the investment community, "He who has the gold rules." The Kingdom of God, the place where all gold is created and from where it is distributed has a different phrase, "Whomever amongst you that would be first must in fact become servant of all!, With Love & In Truth, Jesus.

He was the ultimate servant leader. Follow that which is contrary to all fundamental leadership training and follow His lead.

Covetousness - Covetousness, greed, is a toughie. The "Big Bucks" naturally has great influence. This influence can be for great good but more often than not with a little comes the pursuit of more and more of it and then its very pursuit erodes a mans moral fiber.

When money is a major or just as often, the primary, focus in our life, it becomes a tool of destruction. It takes the place of relationships. It removes us from spending time in the pursuit of the love and serving of others. When it is a fruit of our labor, it can become a great blessing to both self and others. Many of God's kids started out well - only to be derailed once wealth or frankly any form of affluence (knowledge, social status, things, etc.) became a primary portion of their life. What history has shown us is that there are millions that flourish spiritually in terrible trials; only a few can thrive spiritually with the grasp of wealth.

As the called of God, you and I must be aware when the negative pressure of these four (4) things are present in our life situations. You can be confident that each one of these conditions will present itself as God calls you for His purposes.

Will your love of God and trust in the principles of His kingdom overcome your natural tendencies? Start at the beginning. Ask our Heavenly Father for a double dose of His grace today to walk in light; triumphing over the darkness of things that crave to naturally possess us.

I remain...

InHISgrip,

~J~

The Leader Who Waits…The One Who Lingers & Even Meanders!

So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir. - Genesis 33:14

Our work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible stresses upon people and relationships. We all have our own pace. I like speed. It speaks efficiency and tells me that I am more competent for my ability to move quickly. I like feeling like I am competent. I also get annoyed when things do not move at my pace and in my direction.

In the Old Testament there was a certain man who would one day be known as Israel. His name was Jacob. Jacob was a man who learned to manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his older brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who strived with God. That means he tried to push God along like a child wanting to leave one place to go to another, Jacob would "pester" God.I am sure those around him would say that Jacob had a knack of forcing issues to his advantage. Because his motives were selfish and greedy took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel. God saw something in Jacob that He could use.

Robert Hicks, in his book, Masculine Journey, describes five biblical stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a mature man of God. I like the idea of this. It's linear. My experience however is that God is not linear in His dealings with me; at least not necessarily. Nonetheless, one of those early stages is known as the "warrior stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what he accomplishes, and he is primarily defined by his performance. It can be a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often signified by broken relationships because the goal is often about him, his needs, his goals, his aspirations, his work and this phase is most about about the goals and not the way the goal is accomplished. Yesterday I had the chance to meet with a man who was through this phase. You can tell. He was not driven in the conversation. But, he did talk about this phase without naming it; a time when he was dogged and relentless in his pursuits.

In an effort to get to the point I have shown a time when Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his followers can maintain and where they feel an integral part and also accomplished. The lives of men are full of wives, children, and workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises.

Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads at a pace that ensures respect, admiration and an observed value on what is also important to those around you? Ask the Lord for the ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of those left in his charge and stop to observe and best understand the pace in which you can lead without alienating those for whom God has made you accountable.

I remain…

InHISGrip, ~J~

Allowing Me Into Your Life

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel - Philippians 1:12-13

Have you ever heard these statements: "Money talks." Or how about this: This is the golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules." Both of these statements have a hint of truth in them.

When Jesus was crucified there was a question as to where Jesus would be buried. Those that hurried Him to the cross, designed that He should make His grave with the wicked; that he would be buried with others who had been accused of crimes and that had also been crucified. God designed He should make it with the rich and prophetically had announced this in the Old Testament in Isaiah 53:9 - Though they prepared his grave with the wicked he entered in death with the rich though he had done no violence nor was there found any lie within him.

And so a rich man also named Joseph (like Jesus' earthly father) ensured he had a proper burial. In order for Jesus to be buried with honor, this man of influence was permitted to take the body of Jesus. It seems this man had a personal relationship with Pilate. Thus, we can call this Joseph a man of influence. Ultimately he retrieved the body of our Lord and placed it in a burial plot he owned in a cave that was reserved for the rich.

Joseph of Arimathea was called an honorable counselor, a person of character and distinction, and in an office of public trust; some think it would be comparable to our State Department. That would allow him to be privy to and associated with Pontus Pilate. This post also seems to have been in the Jewish faith and that he was one of the great Sanhedrim of the Jews, or one of the high priest's council.

The Bible says that God desires His people to be the head, not the tail. He prepares us, when we accept and embrace God's instruction through the Holy Spirit to be sensitive to God's leading and to be instructors, teacher's, leaders.

Guys, if we are to influence the our time, our place, the culture that surrounds us, we must be men and women of influence in whom God uses to impact the culture. If you are a successful person, consider the words of Paul when he said, "...what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Although Paul was referencing adversity in this statement, it can be equally said that each of us needs to ask if our prosperity has served to advance the gospel or our training or our advancement in any area of our life. We need to look to heaven and ask God to reveal to us where our personal leverage and leadership exists. We also need to ask where we have not sharpened the saw of our life or maximized our potential to change lives by allowing God to fully develop our tools, talents, passions and gifts.

Are you using your influence to impact your workplace, city, Body of Christ or even nation for the sake of the gospel? Is there something or some things you have neglected that would change your ability to stand in a place of honor, or, as in Paul's case, apparent dishonor (this to be developed more thoroughly in a future teaching) so that God is glorified and the borders of the Kingdom of God are spread by your efforts and position? What else should you be doing? What two things, right now, do you know for certain you could do that would extend your ability to touch and perhaps bring salvation to lives around you? THINK! :-) - I bet you dollars to donuts that if you spend just 15 minutes in consideration, meditation and prayer over this that the Holy Spirit of God will show you what those two things are...

This is a season of warmth, love, consideration, serving and fellowship. Nothing about giving is more valuable then your compassion spread in a way that would fall naturally within your gifting and position. God's richest blessings to you and may your borders and tents be spread and Jesus arise in you and through you to others like the Daystar of the morning. I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~

Judgments vs. Judgmental

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven - Luke 6:37

I must tell you all that I enjoy Os Guinness and this is one of the reasons. He brings the Bible alive through the practical applications of it. I believe that is a better concept of theology than simply, "the fact." The story below is a good example and it had me thinking this morning. Have you ever made a judgment about a person or situation only to discover how wrong you were in your assessment? Such was the case in a story told by Os in his book, The Call.


"Arthur F. Burns, the chairman of the United States Federal Reserve System and ambassador to West Germany, was a man of considerable gravity. Medium in height, distinguished, with wavy silver hair and his signature pipe, he was economic counselor to a number of presidents from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan. When he spoke, his opinions carried weight and Washington listened.

Arthur Burns was also Jewish, so when he began attending an informational White House group for prayer and fellowship in the 1970s, he was accorded special respect. In fact, no one knew quite how to involve him in the group and, week after week when different people took turns to end the meeting in prayer, Burns was passed by-out of a mixture of respect and reticence.

One week, however, the group was led by a newcomer who did not know of Burns' status. As the meeting ended, the newcomer turned to Arthur Burns and asked him to close the time with a prayer. Some of the old-timers glanced at each other in surprise and wondered what would happen. But without missing a beat, Burns reached out, held hands with others in the circle, and prayed this prayer: 'Lord, I pray that you would bring Jews to know Jesus Christ. I pray that you would bring Muslims to know Jesus Christ. Finally, Lord, I pray that you would bring Christians to know Jesus Christ. Amen.'

Burn's prayer has become legendary in Washington. Not only did he startle those present with refreshing directness, but he also underscored a point about 'Christians' and 'Christianity' that needs repeating regularly. It highlights another important aspect of the truth of our personal understanding of the idea of purpose: Purpose reminds Christians ceaselessly that, far from having arrived, a Christian is someone who in this life is always on the road as 'a follower of Christ' and a follower of 'the Way.'"*

We often worry about whether we are acting as fruit inspectors (You will know people by the fruit they bear in their lives) or if we are simply judging them out of a religious or worse, self-pious unloving, ungracious spirit. Perhaps from this, and before you and I judge a person or situation, maybe we should consider that our judgment might not be an accurate assessment of the situation and certainly might miss the greater blessing that is associated with a person.

I remain...
InHISgrip
~J~

It's Just My Nature - Ya, No Kidding...WE KNOW!

When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, "Joseph’s brothers have come," it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.' And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, "Do not quarrel on the way." So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. And they told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."
- Genesis 45:16-28

So what is the scene we have here? Joseph's brothers are on a journey back home. They had come seeking food in a time of great famine. They had gotten much more than that. However, I want to focus on a smaller point here so I won't go into the whole reunion with Joseph thing. They not only had been given plenty to eat on the way back to their homeland, but had also been given new threads as well. In short, they had all that they needed---and they once again had it in abundance!

Returning to a land that was in the depths of depression and poverty they must have really looked like something. In the midst of a land drying up under the feet of it's inhabitants they would have looked like kings!

Notice, however, the one directive Joseph gave them: "Don't get into an argument on the journey!" It had been years, yea, decades since Joseph had been with his brothers. Yet, through knowledge and wisdom, he knew those men, didn't he?

I just crack up in these historical biblical stories when little tidbits like that are inserted. Centuries may come and go, but human nature stays pretty much the same. As much as we wish it would go away, it's impossible to erase depravity. I know. It would be kinder to call it "human nature." But the fact of the matter is that it's the human nature, the sin nature, that Joseph was bringing to their remembrance.

There is an old Chinese proverb: "Not very many men can carry a full cup without its disturbing their equilibrium." Sudden wealth or promotion can be a tottering experience, both for the recipient and those surrounding him or her. But it's not just when good things happen to us that we are thrown off of our spiritual game.

Is it?

Superiority, inferiority, arrogance, and jealousy can easily to create out of you and I something ungodly and unlovely; certainly not something that God would be honored to call His own. We know this is true. All we have to do (on the positive side...or is it?) is to check on those who win the lottery. Very few can handle the financial windfall.

To top it all off, in our little story here, Joseph had given his younger brother Benjamin more than he had given to the other brothers. He gave them all provisions and gave each of them new garments, but he gave Benjamin three hundred shekels of silver and five new garments. YIKES! Apparently Joseph had not had mommy lessons in counting the sprinkles on the cupcakes to create an "even" or "fair" playing field.

A similar experience had been had in the life of Joseph decades earlier that had caused hatred in the ranks of his brothers toward Joseph. His dad had shown him special favor also. It had cost him years in slavery, prison and humiliation.

It had cost Joseph...

...hadn't it?

No, probably not...not according to God's view; but certainly yes, according to man's view.

No doubt Joseph remembered well what had happened years before when he had been given more than the others, but he had his own reasons for giving Benjamin these items. He didn't want that to result in a fight. "So don't argue about it!" he told his brothers. He wanted to see what they had learned.

A great principle of the Christian faith might be this: Trust one another, but we are never to trust one another's nature. That's one of the reasons parents give their children the warnings that they do. Parents understand their children's natures better than their offspring do. It's not a question of trust; it's a matter of knowing the nature within. The only way that nature changes is when the Spirit of God rules and reigns in a heart. That is a supernatural event and it must happen every day...daily we must die to our natural man. Daily we must realize, "Christ in me is the hope of Glory!" Daily we must come to grips with our eternal nature and invite through our worship, our praise, our affection toward God the Father and our habits God's Spirit to grab hold of us, once again, for that day...and that is why today, I must remain...

InHISgrip,

~J~

May I Lean A Bit While Standing?

That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies... - Joshua 7:12

Fifty six years of living have taught me a couple of things about my work life and ministry. First, it doesn't matter if you are the most talented or the most skilled. Secondly, your plans and procedures can be flawless as well.

It will all fail if you have a break in your ranks.

This is what God was attempting to convey to General Joshua when he attempted to confront a smaller and less capable regimen at an area called Ai. This was Israelis' second battle in the land called "The Promised Land. (Funny...God "gave it to them" here they are battling for it...hmmm - God apparently defines give differently than we normally do. NOTE TO SELF: LEARN GOD'S DEFINITIONS!)

So, have you ever had a post event quarterbacking meeting? Isn't it odd? We try to figure out why we are not successful in an endeavor. We seemingly review all aspects of our performance, the coordination and organization of the components and the personnel used to see what in the world happened!?!

Well, for the people of Israel, it was not easily observed. The outcome was whacked (they lost miserably) However, everything seemed just as it should be from the General's perspective. And, in what seems to be the case, as an afterthought, when his army was handed their lunch (er, soundly beat up), he cried out to God, It was deep. It was spiritual. It had all the markings of a man of faith and power...NOT!

Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? - Josh. 7:7a

That's my boy Joshua! Truly a man of faith and power! No, how about, Joshua, human being who had gotten full of himself and assumed his relationship and that of Israel after just one victorious battle. How about Joshua, he who had forgotten what was important to God, (promises made) and assumed on God what he should not have assumed at all.

Israel got a punch in the gut because God could not bless them. You see, one dude out of the many had violated the covenant with God. God said, do not take any possessions from the first battle, but one person failed to live up to this, and the whole army suffered.

Israel broke ranks spiritually. And kids, God works through groups of people and not just individuals. You are not just responsible for you - no, you are or supposed to be part of a body of believers all marching to God's tune.

Sin makes our armor vulnerable to attack from satan and the world system. Evil then gains an opening to attack us in the area where we have failed to uphold righteousness.

In this instance, believe it or not, Israel broke down in an area of moral purity, their commitment to a promise to God. At that break sin establishes a stronghold. To use another example, should we give place to bitterness and unforgiveness, we will break fellowship with God and others (Are there limits to loving relationship in the Kingdom of God? Is their feuding in God's Kingdom?) If we become possessions or greed/money-focused, we will fall into a "power of positive thinking" deception (There is more to this but not the space here to get into it).

We must find the break in our ranks, confess and heal the relationship with God thus shattering a vicious cycle.

Today, with me, let's examine our armor. Look first to self and then to your body of Christ. Job One must be to ensure we are not susceptible to attack and defeat. Begin from a solid spiritual foundation and your chances of success will be infinitely greater. I remain...

InHISgrip,

~J~

Single Moms - Are They Our New Widows?

Throughout the Bible, God’s people are instructed to care for those who often cannot thrive on their own, most often widows and orphans. Because of the lack of honorable employment available for women in ancient times, widows were in an especially difficult position. Without secular institutions to care for these women, widows either relied heavily on family members for financial assistance or lived in poverty.

Throughout scripture, God instructs his people in no uncertain terms to take it upon themselves to make sure these women are provided for. No fewer than 66 Old Testament passages mention widows, saying (among many other things) that widows are not to be taken advantage of (Exodus 22:22), that God defends them (Deuteronommy 10:18), that food is to be left for them to eat (Deuteronomy 24:20-21), and that those who withhold justice from them are cursed (Deuteronomy 27:19). In the New Testament, Jesus — even on the cross — entrusts the care of his mother, Mary, to the disciple John, demonstrating even in his anguish the importance widows play in his kingdom (John 19:26-27). The church is implored on a number of occasions to take care of the widows in their midst. James’ language is actually rather direct along these lines: “True religion” is taking care of widows and orphans (James 1:27).

Today, our world is quite different. Women have access to a formal education that prepares them for careers on par (though still not equal, sadly) with men in both pay scale and advancement. Even a less educated woman can receive a decent hourly job and provide for herself. In this way, a woman’s options for provision have not run out should her husband or partner pass away.

I suggest we update our definition “widow” to include single mothers, perhaps the most vulnerable members of our contemporary societies and churches. I am not suggesting we cease our financial, spiritual, and emotional care for women (and men) who have lost their spouses. But as Christians who read our Bibles as “living and active” words from God for all people in all contexts, we seek to broaden our traditional understandings of certain scriptures based on changes in our context. In saying this, I am also not detracting from the strength and courage of many single mothers. For most single moms in America, though, the math just doesn’t work in their favor: Even one child that is not yet school-aged can prevent the only able-bodied worker – mom – from having a job outside the home, without shelling out hundreds of dollars in day-care bills each week.

Sadly, the church has a shameful reputation in its treatment of single mothers, primarily because of the stigmas associated with being a single mom. They live messy lives. I know, I had one.

Our views on divorce and irresponsible premarital sex often underlie this bias ... even today in our enlightened state where we are beginning to realize that sin is sin and all sinners need a touch from God, the Holy Spirit and His people - constantly!

Those who hold most of the resources are too often the ones casting judgment on those whom they believe had a central role in creating their own fate, translating this into a general stinginess of time and money toward single moms. "The spiritual" people most often play the part of moral judge and jury, shunning fellow members who divorce and never completely welcoming those single moms who come to them following their “sin.” It is no secret that the church is often quite a lonely place to be for a divorced woman, let alone a woman who had her children out of wedlock.

We must update our spiritual lexicon regarding the word “widow” to include single moms. Right next door to many of our churches – and too often within them – these courageous women are sacrificing greatly for the well-being of their children while Christians look on primarily with judgment rather than compassion. We must consider the possibility that, placing ourselves within the story of the adulterous woman “caught in the act” in John 8, we are in fact the Pharisees and teachers of the law to whom Jesus sternly says, “Let anyone who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

This son of a widow and a divorcee...remains within HIS grip...

~J~