A Business Lesson

God cares about the details of our lives – everything from our choice of diet to the way we spend our time.  It is no suprise, then, that God cares about how his Church conducts business.  That is what I’ve spent the last month studying..Business in the church.

I’ve been reading Business Management in the Local Church by David Pollock.  Now, I don’t want to bore you with the details of managmenet practices in a church, however there was one key theme that stood out to me: Excellence.

In all areas of ministry, God deserves honor.  Serving as an afterthought, giving only whatever effort it takes to “get by,” is not an option.  Excellence honors God, and reflects His character – something my Pastor tells us all the time.  It’s TRUE!  If I am not willing to serve to the best of my ability, then I should move over and let someone who will take over.

It has been a challenge to push myself toward excellence in serving in this area of ministry.  I’m not trained in business, and only enjoyed number crunching as a hobby.  It would have been easy to simply adapt what I do in my personal bookkeeping to a church setting…but there is much more required within a church.  I’ve had to add time studying the ins and outs of church management in order to make myself ready for this challenge.  There are many things that I thought would work that simply don’t – I’ve had to admit that and grow, asking God for inspiration for something better.

This lesson falls over into every other area of my life.  If I am going to offer my service to God, whether singing, children’s ministry, office related, or in the workplace…God deserves my absolute BEST!  Not only that, but I should be getting better week after week.  Continual improvement. 

Have you learned a lesson like this before?  How did God change you and your ministry?

Caught in the Middle…east.

Israel and her surrounding territories have been a subject of fascination of mine for quite a while. Even before my real life as a Christ follower, I found myself enthralled with the drama, both political and and otherwise, that plays out in that tiny piece of earth. I wrote papers on the PLO, Hamas and Arafat….then I began to really study scripture, and discovered prophecy related to the middle east and Jerusalem. Too good to be true! (But, it is true.) There was even more to discover about this region – a story that was already written and is now playing out before our eyes every day on CNN.

Enter the author of my latest read, Joel Rosenberg.

Rosenberg’s spent much of his career heavily involved in the political arena, speech writing, and working for various US and Israeli government officials. He is a Messianic Jew, and also happens to have a knack for writing uncanny political thrillers that seem to come true. Case in point….in September 2001 he was about to publish a book about Islamic terrorists crashing an airplane into a sky scraper in Denver. We all know what happened after that…and needless to say The Last Jihad was delayed. The books that followed were also seemed to “predict” future events. How does he do this, and where does he get his material?

Rosenberg is a student of scripture, and has poured over prophecies contained in Ezekiel 37-39 about the war of Gog and Magog. He uses his understanding of this portion of scripture and the world players it refers to to write with uncanny accuracy about the middle east, specifically Jerusalem, Israel, which he calls the “epicenter” of world events. ( Rosenberg also points out that many specifics are left out of Ezekiel’s prophecy, and that the stories he writes are NOT the only way events may happen. He takes what is laid out in the prophecy, and fashions a real world scenario in which they may occur. )

Enter my latest read, Epicenter.

This book, catering to every angle of my personal reading preferences, is a mix of prophecy and present/future headlines. Joel focuses on Russia, Iran, and Israel with the “third lens of scripture.” In this work of non-fiction, he relates current political tensions in the area to prophecy, and gives insight on what is happening, and may happen in next. Things to pay attention to include:

• Israel finding large quantities of oil
• Russia and Iran forming nuclear ties
• Russia’s increasingly “czarist” rule
• Babylon’s resurgence
• …many others…

While not a book to hold up and treat as prophecy in itself, Rosenberg’s knowledge of the region and political climate uncover what I would not have, and his connections to prominent figures in the middle east are astounding. It is a book I would recommend for anyone interesting in understanding more of what is happening in the most volatile area in the world.

Quote of my day.

Reading Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.  I found a digital version of it, so it’s even work friendly.  It’s been about six years since I read it.  Now was definately the time to pick it back up again.  My friend Brooke and I are reading it at the same time so that we’ll have someone to discuss it with.  The great thought contained in writing (such as this) is much better mined working with someone else. 

Here’s what stood out to me today:

..If there does exist an absolute goodness it must hate most of what we do. That is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. We cannot do without it. and we cannot do with it. God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible-ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger-according to the way you react to it.

Wow.  What an awesome God I serve.  I am so thankful I have found safety in Him.

Have you?  Do you want to?  What’s the quote of your day?

Judges: Thoughts worth considering

Wow, April is over.  Crazy?!

During April, I, along with many others in my church, read the book of Judges.  It’s 21 chapters long, and a fairly fast read.  The stories are exciting, and can hold my attention as well as any sci-fi book out there. 

When Darkness Will Not Lift

As a tween and teen, I suffered with bouts of mild to moderate depression.  I’d hazard to guess that I am not unique in this.  Even now I have blue days, sometimes weeks, as do many others, even within the body of Christ.  What makes the difference for me now is my relationship with Jesus.  Stormy seas and dry rocky places are not unfamilliar to him.

When Darkness Will Not Lift: Doing What We Can While We Wait for God – and Joy by John Piper is 73 .pdf pages long.  Yes, that’s right, no paper copy for me this time.  I read this e-book during work down time.  (E-books are much more convenient in the workplace…though paper copy is still my preference..another post for another time.)

What first grabbed me about this book was the title byline: “Doing what we can…”  What always had gripped me about depression was the feeling of helplessess in the midst of it.  You are sad, blue, and there’s nothing you can do.  (So you think.)  We should do what we can do. “And doing is often God’s appointed remedy for despair,” (p. 45).  So, immediately I was encouraged and reminded that there is something to be done rather than sit in self-absorbed self-pity.  And intrigued enough to keep reading.

One of the most important is learning to fight for joy like a justified sinner. I call this “gutsy guilt,” … learning to live on the rock-solid truth of what happened for us when Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again from the dead. (p.14)

Piper asserts that this foundation is essential in finding joy in all situations; not allowing our sinful nature to distract and condemn us.  He goes on to explain the difference between justification and sanctification, and how both are only accomplished through faith, and of no merit of our own.  Understanding these things is essential – having Christ as the gold standard takes the pressure off of me to perform and subsequently disappoint.  Christ never disappoints, and the gifts of faith and grace justify me, and change my heart.  The focus is off of me, and on Him. The meat and potatoes of the book consists of discussion on a range of topics, helpful for those who struggle with depression and those who want to help a loved one in their fight for joy.  Piper covers:

• the deceiving sense of lonliness
• use and non use of medication
• the danger of unconfessed sin
• beign active in seeking joy
• fighting self-centeredness

…and many other subtopics related to these.  I’d like to share a quote or two and related thoughts from a few of these sections so that you can get the gist of Piper’s thoughts.

Piper does not come down on one side or the other of the medication question, but instead directs the sufferer (or their loved ones) to seek out a well educated Christian physician to direct them in this area.  He quotes many such expert opinions on the matter, and does not pass judgement himself.  Medication for depression seems to be a polarizing issue in Christian circles, but Piper diffuses this tension by reminding all that Christ is capable of covering even poor medical decisions. 

…if someone reading this book is on medication, or is thinking about it, I do not condemn you for that, nor does the Bible. It may or may not be the best course of action. I commend you to the wisdom of a God-centered, Bible-saturated medical doctor. If there was imperfection in the choice to use medication, the imputed righteousness of Christ will swallow it up as you rest in him. (p.30-31)

Feelings of lonliness and faithlessness must be combated with a full understanding of God’s love and “gutsy guilt” that I referenced earlier.  Piper quotes many of David’s psalms about being stuck in a pit, waiting patiently, and being alone.  When darkness seems to overshadow us, we are not alone, and not out of the sight of our God.

Our faith rises and falls. It has degrees. But our security does not rise and fall. It has no degrees. We must persevere in faith.  (p. 37-38)

[We must] know that we can be safe in Jesus, even when we have lost sight of our own sincerity. The witness of the Holy Spirit that we are the children of God (Rom. 8:16) may be clear or faint. But the reality is unshakable. “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Tim. 2:19). “God is faithful, by whom you were called” (1 Cor. 1:9).  (p. 39)

This is one of the most refreshing and encouraging books I’ve read in a long while.  God used it to speak to me, point out self-centered tendancies, and remind me to fight for joy.  Fight with everything I’ve got.  It forced me to take a long hard look at my emotional state, and repent of a lot of attitudes and ways of thinking.  Piper’s reliance on scripture made me follow his book back to the Bible for context and references.  Overall, I think I have a better understanding of how to combat the blues with Truth, knowing that I’m already victorious, even when I don’t “feel it.”

If you struggle with long periods of depression or blue feelings, or you know someone who does, and would like a copy of this book, please contact me for the link.  I’d be happy to share it with you, and also to pray for you and your situation.

Isaiah 55. 2 of 13

Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Isaiah 55:2

A good question, why spend money on things that don’t feed you? Why work on things that won’t give lasting satisfaction? You’ll spend your life poor and hungry, forever working without hope of a reward.