Not "Show YOU the money"; "Show ME the money!"

What would you think of a family with following financial situation?

• Annual Income: $24,500
• Annual Spending: $35,370
• NEW Credit Card Debt: $10,870
• Existing Credit Card Balance: $167,600

You might think such people fiscally foolish at best.  And you'd be right.  Sadly, some in America are just like that when it comes to money.

What's worse? They are fiscally foolish with YOUR money.

Just add eight (8) zeros and you'll see.

US GOVERNMENT BUDGET

• Revenue: $2,450,000,000,000
• Spending: $3,537,000,000,000
• Deficit: $1,087,000,000,000
• Debt: $16,760,000,000,000

"But make no mistake: As people my age retire and demand Medicare, America will eventually go broke."
~John Stossel

Source: "The Austerity Myth"

Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

My most recent book acquisition is When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search, by Chris Brauns. (N.B. The title says "Word," not "World." Nuff said.)

Ideally, a church wouldn't need this book for many years, as the pastor puts down roots and commits, enjoying decades of service to Christ & His people. But, we keeps it real, so ... a book like this is more than necessary since longevity is rare.

In fact, if the search process is successful (i.e., a good fit is found), then the church will have little to no experience on which to lean for the next pastor, since the pastor stayed awhile. Conversely, the churches that might get proficient at the pastoral search due to frequency, may be suffering from not doing it well (i.e., a good fit is not found).

I intend to post a review of When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search upon completion, but to increase awareness of such a resource in the Church and to whet your appetite ...

10 Common Mistakes Churches Make Looking for a Pastor, each of which contains elaboration in the book:

1. Not choosing the right people for the pastoral search committee.
2. Prayerlessness.
3. Being people-centered rather than Word-centered.
4. Lack of follow-through and due-diligence by the pastoral search committee.
5. Impatience that leads to the wrong decision.
6. Failure to properly administrate the pastoral search.
7. Inadequate communication.
8. Failure to adequately budget for the pastoral search.
9. Allowing the experience with the previous pastor to direct the calling of the next pastor.
10. Spending too much time trying to call pastors who are not "reasonably gettable."

• Learn more about When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search, including where to purchase.
• Read endorsements.
• Buy Brauns' Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds.

Give in to your anger. With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant.

A solicitation of volunteers at the Providence Church members meeting last night brought to mind the following quote:

"It is bothersome to me when people claim they 'want to go deep' but have splinters in their rear ends from sitting around all day and doing nothing. Spiritual maturity is not only measured by knowledge; if that were the case, then the devil would be more spiritually mature than anoy pastor on the planet, because he knows way more than all of us! But maturity is developed when people do what Jesus did by serving others." (Perry Noble)

Of course, he's right. In fact, that's the measure of greatness in the kingdom, being the greatest servant of all ... according to Jesus.

• Mark 9:34-35 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
• Mark 10:42-45 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Then there's also that great Christological passage from Paul in Philippians 2:5-11, but often forgot is that the impetus is to be like Jesus ... with regard to His example of one who serves others to the detriment of Himself.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:5-11 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Remember as well ... a call to "ministry" or a call to be a "minister" is a call to service or being a servant. That's what the word means. (cf. Mark 10:43-45 KJV)

Being a slacker is not congruent with spiritual maturity.

You make me want to be a better man.

I'm presently preaching through the book of Judges on Sunday mornings at Providence Church. Consequently, I've spent more time in Judges the past few months than ever before and I've had to rethink some things.

One thing that has become clear to me is a misunderstanding of the role and significance of Deborah in the book of Judges and in the Bible in general.

In Judges 4 & 5 many see Deborah as God's leader appointed over the nation, primarily because there were no men willing to step up.

But, (1) rather than validating the leadership of women, she reveals how bad things are in Israel that the menfolk are such spiritual slackers. In other words, the text is not trying to normalize women in spiritual, military, or national leadership, but is criticizing the state of affairs in Israel.

Couple Deborah's role with that of Jael in Judges 4-5 and you see a woman rallying the men to fight (Deborah) and one getting the glory for killing the enemy leader (Jael), instead of Barak (Judges 4:9).

(2) Deborah is not actually the hero of the stories; Jael is. Jael kills the enemy commander, but she does so using her skills acquired as a housewife. Why doesn't anyone want to emulate she who is "most blessed" among women? (Judges 5:24)

(3) Deborah does not see a lack of leaders and take charge. Deborah is not actually the leader, but God's spokes(wo)man to the leader (i.e., Barak). God uses her, not to lead, but to get the leader to do his job.

"Deborah does not take over when men don't lead. She inspires men to lead. There is a world of difference in those two statements."
- Bob Deffinbaugh

That being said, although Deborah doesn't seem to aspire to leadership in Israel, she is the most spiritual person around. That's why they go to her for a word from God, as His prophetess. She's pretty much the lone spiritual light shining in that darkened land.

In fact, I would submit that God raised up Deborah and Jael to shame Israel and to humiliate Israel's enemies (e.g., Sisera, the enemy commander).

"it was also an act of humiliation for the Jews, for they lived in a male-dominated society that wanted only male leadership. ... For a captain to flee from a battle was embarrassing; for him to be killed while fleeing was humiliating; but to be killed by a woman was the most disgraceful thing of all (9:54)."
- Warren Wiersbe (cf. Is 3:12)

The role of women in Scripture should not be denigrated, but rather applauded, especially the deeds of Deborah and Jael in Judges 4-5. At the same time, we shouldn't make the text say what we want, what it doesn't, in order to make a point of our own.

Click to listen to my sermon on Judges 4, "Girl Power."

Adventure ... Excitement ... A jedi craves not these things.

The following are 10 distinctives of "Great Commission* Keepers" over the past 200 years, according to Luis Palau. They were given at a leadership conference in Washington, DC in 1988.

If you're interested in missions or church leadership, see how you measure up.

1. Passion for those apart from Christ
2. Christ-centered message (not diluted with social issues, or hung up on political agendas or political correctness)
3. Holiness in every area of life ~ Don't play games with God. Admit, confess, and repent of sin, striving not to do it anymore.
4. Boldness to try new methods ~ So what if we fail every so often? The important thing is that we are making an attempt.
5. Willingness to endure criticism
6. Commitment to a local church ~ This is the group that knows you, loves you, and seeks to help you.
7. Love for the whole Body of Christ ~ Seek the unity that is found through Jesus Christ and don't care who gets the credit.
8. Sacrificial financial giving ~ This is a basic realization that life does not consist of accumulating more toys and things. It is a realization that everything we have belongs to God.
9. Serious about private prayer ~ Personal devotions are not just reading the Bible, but they are talking and listening to the still small voice of God.
10. Faithfulness to the end

*The Great Commission ~ Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)