Saddleback Civil Forum

I want to post this link so that if anyone hasn't had an opportunity to watch the Saddleback Civil Forum where Pastor Rick Warren interviews Barrack Obama and John McCain they would have the opportunity now. This is a very helpful forum in that it provides a very good point of clarification for Christians on the positions of these two men. I know many Christians are confused about how to cast their vote in this election and I think this forum might help make that decision easier. Enjoy

http://trevinwax.com/2008/08/17/obama-mccain-with-rick-warren-at-saddleback-forum-video/

The Church's Response to Gay Marriage

This week Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill to repeal a 1913 law, which up until now protected the sovereignty of other states to determine what constituted a legal marriage. With this bill Mass. has opened the door for gay couples from any state to come to their state to be legally married.

Several problems present themselves to me as a result of this decision. First and most practically is the question of what do states do with couples who return from Massachusetts with legal marriage certificates looking for the rights any other married couple in that state? A great dilemma will be faced by many states. I can only imagine the legal expenses that will be supported by tax payers all over America when states have to debate these issues and defend their findings.

Second, and more pressing for the Church is the question of how to respond. I fear we will simply ignore the problem as we have already ignored the problem presented by insurance companies and corporations that choose to recognize same sex couples as equally deserving of coverage as married couples.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of using the Church as a political platform. I’m not really all too excited about the Church being directly involved in social activism. I’m certainly not one to encourage Christians to make fools of themselves in the work place or on public stage.

With that said, while I’m not opposed to Christian organizations and individuals representing Christian standards in the corporate and political world I believe the Church’s response should be focused in a different direction, i.e. it’s teaching. The Church needs to remember that it’s job is not to change social policy but to change hearts, and the only effective change in hearts that the Church should ever focus on is one where the heart is changed in it’s disposition toward God and sin. Only when people’s hearts have gone from hating God and loving sin to loving God and hating sin will the Church have an eternal impact on such issues as we are faced with in Massachusetts. And this brings us back to her teaching. Her teaching must be routed in the gospel teaching about the grace of God that comes to us through the death of Jesus Christ. She should address the moral issues of the day, but only in so far as they serve to point people to their need for Christ and to God’s sovereign authority over all creatures.

To some this may sound simplistic and even naïve. However, it is my opinion that the gospel is more effective in changing people’s minds than any theory, argument or political position and thus the Church should focus her attention on proclaiming the gospel to the heart’s of God’s children.

Leading Our Peers

In my life I have found a common thread that seems to bond people together and that bond is not healthy. The bond that I am thinking about is dislike or criticism of others. For some reason many people gravitate toward those people in their lives that they can comfortably voice their criticisms of others with and even gain a sense of moral superiority from that person’s validation of those criticisms. I have also found that relationships held in place by those un-healthy feelings tend to wear us down and spread an overall feeling of cynicism and distrust.

There is nothing so disruptive to success in any organization than distrust and cynicism. Whether it is found in the home, the community, or the work place it pits people against one another and destroys any hope of common effort in reaching goals and winning. While it seems to be one of the natural tendencies of humankind, it is also one of our most self-destructive traits, because if the organizations to which we belong are not successful then we will ultimately fail.

I have also found that some of my most valued relationships are with those people with whom I feel compelled to be positive, to look for the good in others, to rejoice in the success of others, and to desire the best for others. I have found greater happiness when I surround myself with people who won’t listen to my negative words. They find them sophomoric and me immature for engaging in that behavior, so I don’t speak poorly of people around them. The odd thing is that somehow that effort translates itself into my actual feelings for that person, and I find myself actually liking them, wanting to help them, wanting to see them succeed. Before, I would take pleasure in seeing them fail, but now I desire to help them avoid failure.

If a key to success in any area of life is valuing people and desiring to see them succeed then I suggest that our success may begin when we start talking like successful people and stop talking like children who are consumed with selfishness.

Using Time Effectively

In a recent CCL (Center for Creative Leadership) newletter I read the following two statments.

1. The process of slowing down and taking time out for learning and reflection will often improve decision making, foster efficiency and foster change in the culture.
2. Am I confusing activity with meaningful action?

As a leader I desire and have an obligation to impact the culture around me, whether that culture is my workplace, home or community. Often I find that my efforts to impact the culture are centered on activity without much thought put into the purpose of the activity. I just move forward without having really thought about where I'm going and why I'm going there.

I find that when I do take time to slow down, reflect, and learn I usually gain a vision that will inform my future activity and the activity that I engage in is consequently beneficial to my surrounding culture.

I do think that the wise person will learn to ask herself/himself "Am I confusing activity and meaningful action" and will understand that meaningful action is born out of thoughful reflection and purpose seeking. The wise person will understand that being active isn't always the best use of one's time and that often we should slow ourselves down and just think!

Grace

I have been thinking a lot this week about the state of my soul and grace and a thought occurred to me this morning that I wanted to share.

Hebrews 13:9 says, "Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace..."

So often we think of grace as connected to our salvation, that thing that God gives us to save us. I think we often miss the fact that it also strengthens us. As I struggle with sin and holiness issues I usually rely on my strength or the impact of other people and their influence to strengthen me. I look to external things for the resolve to live to the glory of God. But as Hebrews says, I haven't really been benefited by those things. I've realized that this week and have been wondering how grace can help me not only be saved but grow in my salvation. I've at least realized this, that is its purpose, i.e. to help me grow in my salvation.

So what do I do now? Well, I engage God in prayer to have grace, which is greater than all my sins, strengthen me to live like a man whose been saved by grace.

I'm sure there is more, but I'll discover it in God's word as he reveals it to me. For now it's just good to know that God thought about sanctification as much as he thought about salvation when he planned all this before he made it.

Praise His Name!

Leadership - Grace

The following article is an excerpt for John C. Maxwell's Leadership wired newsletter. Along with the many other things Maxwell has to say about leadership in this article, I found this to be humbling and insightful. He is dead on about the tendency in the business world to be critical of our co-worker's and leaders and absolutely correct that when we engage in graceless activity we don't demonstrate tough savvy business acumen. To the contrary we demonstrate insecurity in ourselves, a lack of integrity and a wanting for respectfulness toward others.

This same principle is applicable to every area of live, even in our homes.

So the next time you hear me carping about somebody and how they don't do their job well or some other shortcoming they might have, please remind me about my shortcoming, ungraciousness.

Thanks, MP

Amazing Grace

Courage. Wisdom. Strength. Vision. Influence. We have no trouble associating these words with leadership. Grace doesn't usually make the list.

After all, grace is a rather touchy-feely word, isn't it? Preschool teachers have grace. Ice skaters move with grace. Elderly women are named Grace. It's not exactly a word packed with power. At least, not at first glance.

What exactly does "grace" signify in a leadership context? According to Ray Blunt of http://www.govleaders.org/, grace means acknowledging and accepting imperfections, both in ourselves and others. When we infuse grace into our lives, the advantages we reap are manifold.

However, grace doesn't usually find its way into boardrooms, strategy sessions, or creative meetings. Apparently, we see ourselves as too tough to carry grace into the workplace, or perhaps we deem the business climate too harsh for grace.

Whatever the case, grace gets left behind when we hit the office. Instead, we carp about a teammate's shortcomings, pile cutting remarks on top of a co-worker's failure, or complain about a leader's missteps. We pass judgment quickly and effortlessly. We hold a magnifying glass above the mistakes of those around us, while we try to maintain a facade of perfection.

Without grace, a leader faces the twin perils of insecurity and irrelevance. On the other hand, by apprehending the quality of grace, a leader becomes labeled as secure and worthy or respect.

Initiative and Momentum

The following is a quote from John C. Maxwell, which is quite apropos for me. Taking initiative even when I don't have all the answers and don't have a good feeling about the next step is sometimes quite difficult.

Initiative
by Dr. John C. Maxwell

It's cliché to say that every journey begins with a single step, yet it's true. Leaders don't wait for everything to be perfect before they move forward. They don't wait for all the problems or obstacles to disappear. They don't wait until their fear subsides. Leaders take initiative.Leaders know the secret of momentum: once you take the first step and start moving forward, everything becomes clearer and easier. If momentum gets strong enough, problems begin to take care of themselves and new opportunities arise. But the benefits of momentum only come into play once a leader takes initiative.

Arguing vs. Debating

As I think about conflict in the work place, in the home and in the everyday relationships of life I am struck by the idea that there is a very basic difference between arguing and debating. Perhaps the words themselves don’t carry the difference that I see within their core meanings, but the way in which each activity is carried out and the reason for each activity has convinced me that they are different, and one is actually helpful, indeed necessary for success, while the other is harmful and even detrimental to success.

Arguing is what we do when we are simply contrary toward another person or a basically bull headed individual. We disagree with another person’s point of view or idea for a project because we don’t like them or their idea is not our idea. Clearly, it doesn’t take me to tell you that this is counterproductive in any business or relationship.

However, what strikes me as important is the very core difference found in debating as compared to arguing and the fact that debating may actually be a necessary ingredient for success in business and even relationships. Debating is a mutual event where two or more parties disagree in principle not because of personality. In the end both parties want the same thing, i.e. that which is best for the company, community, or relationship. They may disagree on how to achieve success, but in one thing they are united, success is essential and they need debate their way toward a course of action that will take them there. Debaters who have this mind frame are always willing to back away from their ideas when another idea is presented that is better and more capable achieving the goal because they are not more personally vested in their ideas than they are in the business or relationship.

The key question that arises from this idea is how do I become a debater and stop being an arguer? I really don’t know other than to say that it requires a personal change of heart toward the business or relationship and the self. I have to become confident enough to be humble and humble enough to believe that others present as much if not more value than I do. That’s not any easy thing to do, but it is a worthy cause to engage in.

Christians and OBama

I recently read an email that is going around among Christian groups condemning Barack Obama. The condemnation is not based on the political policies or history of the candidate or even on the things that Obama has said. Sadly, the condemnation of the man is based on his heritage. The email points out that Obama's biological father was a Muslim from Kenya and that his step-father, who raised him, was a radical Muslim. It points out that his mother was an Atheist and that Obama himself attended a Wahabi school, which is apparently a radical leaning Muslim school. It also cynically states that Obama went to a Catholic school and joined a United Church of Christ. The email suggest that his affiliation with the United Church of Christ is only an attempt to assuage the fears of Christians that Obama is some sort of sleeper Muslim who will destroy our Christian freedoms and country if elected, which the email argues is indeed the case.

Not a single mention is made of Obama's political positions, voting history, or even the words of his own speeches. The email is tantamount to religious bigotry and is an embarrassment to the Christian community. Christians should stop allowing themselves to be political pawns, having their fears and ignorance played upon and used by political pundits and hate mongers.

Barack Obama is not the candidate for the Christian, but not because of his parent’s beliefs, where he was born, or where he was educated. Granted, there is some concern, but since when do we judge a man based on the things of his background that were out of his control. Judge the man on his words and deeds.

The type of email that I have described angers me, because it caters to the stereotypical image of Christians as bigots, fear mongers, and ignorant and religiously arrogant people. We must stop playing this role. If Christians want to be politically active, then they should do so with integrity, love and graciousness. You who would condemn a man because his father was a Muslim and his mother was an Atheist, is your genealogy without flaw, is your heritage free of stain. It is only by God's grace that perhaps you have a Christian heritage and have a Christian worldview. Is it not possible that by God's grace a Muslim/Atheist raised boy could grow to be a God-fearing Christian man?

I'm not saying Obama is a Christian. I'm not saying that he is not a Christian. I'm saying, judge him by his fruit not by his original roots. Be Gracious.

Refreshing Times

In Acts 3:19 Peter instructs the people gathered in the portico of Solomon to "repent and return." The reason is two-fold; one part being contingent upon the other. First will come the wiping away of our sins. When we repent and return to God the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to us as detergent designed to wipe away all the stains of our sins and make us white as snow.

Second, and contingent upon the first, will come times of refreshing. These times come to us from the presence of the Lord. We can only be in the presence of the Lord if we are spotless from sin. We can only be spotless from sin if we repent and return to God.

When I read this I couldn't help but wonder, "what do the 'times of refreshing' encompass?" I've been listening to a reading from John MacArthur about the Vanishing Conscious, and it occurred to me that a seared conscious is in desperate need of refreshing, and indeed, when we come into the presence of the Lord our conscious is refreshed: it gains a clarity of thought, and rightness in judgment, and a truthfulness in its guidance of our souls.

When I come into presence of the Lord through repentance, I'm overjoyed to say, my conscious is refreshed. It tells me the truth, frees from unwarranted guilt, rebukes me when appropriate and shows me the right path. But, oh, when I am not in the presence of the Lord my conscious begins to accuse me falsely, weighing me down with guilt that is not mine. It begins to fail me as a guide and lets my flesh win over my spirit, taking me deeper into sin.

Oh, how I need Jesus. He is the only one who can refresh me and make all my members work as God designed them to work. Oh, how I need Jesus, for only in his presence do I see clearly, think rightly and act purely. Oh, how I need to repent and return to God so that I might live always in the presence of the Lord and thus enjoy refreshing times.

God, may it be so for me and for all who read this, Amen.

Principles of Leadership - Leading Up

Here are some keys to leading your leaders taken from John C. Maxwell's book "The 360 Degree Leader"

1. Lead yourself exceptionally well.
2. Lighten your leader's load.
3. Be willing to do what others won't
4. Do more than manage - lead!
5. Invest in relational chemistry.
6. Be prepared every time you take your leader's time.
7. Know when to push and when to back off.
8. Become a go-to player.
9. Be better tomorrow than you are today.

I think these are exceptional principles. I have been challenged by each of them as I've read through the chapters that discussed them. Probably my favorite is number 8. It's hard to be allow yourself to become a go-to player because you risk being run over with work, but if your are practicing the other principles I think your leaders will become better leaders and those around you will become better leaders and the work load won't get out of hand.

Being Qualified

In his book "Good to Great" Jim Collins quotes Darwin E. Smith, CEO of Kimberly Clark as saying, "I never stopped trying to become qualified for the job."

The opposite of this mindset is being apathetically content with where you are right now. I used the word "apathetically" because contentment is not wrong at all. In fact, it is one of the keys to personal sanity. But contentment in the present should always be coupled with a desire to be better tomorrow. This is, I think, a major key to success in any area of life.

So, we who desire to be successful should never stop trying to become qualified for the job. We should never stop learning. We should never stop allowing ourselves to be stretched outside of our comfort zone. We should never stop seeking for ways to be better today than we were yesterday. In fact I think this is the personal duty of every individual alive, a strong influence upon success, and a certain key to personal fulfillment

Heavenly Petitions

Is it ever wrong to ask God for something? I think most of us wonder about this from time to time. We think to ourselves, "my problem/need/desire can't be important enough to bother the creator and ruler of the world over." In fact, I think there is a strong tendency in the human heart to abstain from prayers of petition because such prayers seem to reflect a weakness on our part. Well, what about that? In fact that is the point of prayers of petition; they do indeed reflect our weakness, because we are weak. Without him we can do nothing. He holds all things together. These are biblical truths that we give lip service to, but our pride in not taking our petitions to God exposes the lie in our affirmation of these truths.

What about the idea that God's too big and my petition is too small? Does that carry weight? Well, let's see: he's the God who clothes the lilies of the field which are here today and gone tomorrow; he's the God who knows when a single sparrow falls from the sky; he's the God who's interested enough in you to count the exact number of the hairs on your head. No, I don't think the "God's too big, my petitions are too small" argument carries any weight.

But, if you are still hesitant to take all your cares to the throne of God, let me give you one care that you should have no doubt about your need for help in addressing and God's interest in hearing and responding to it. That care is the condition of your heart. You are powerless to improve it, you are prone to do harm to it, and only God can repair and keep it. What is more, God wants to repair and keep it. So, if you are remiss to take your petitions to God, leave this one out of your list of "I'll take care of that myself", and rush to his throne, and lay it at his, and by the power of Christ's shed blood he will heal your heart and keep it always fixed upon him. At least cast that care on him.

Tolerance

I was recently talking with a close friend about the seeming harshness of Christianity's claim to the exclusive means for salvation, i.e. through belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, who died on a cross, rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. I completely understood his trouble with that truth claim because it leaves a vast amount of the earth's population without any hope for salvation and condemns them to hell. This does seem harsh. I tried to think of the best way to respond, and the only thought that came to my mind was that it is consistent with the Christian faith to declare this truth as taught in the Bible as a loving act of kindness toward those who do not believe this truth. In fact, to hide this truth from the unbeliever is callous and uncaring if indeed I believe that it is true.

However, the Christian's claim of exclusive access to God and salvation has been labeled as intolerant. In reading a book today -"Promoting the Gospel" by John Dixon the truth about tolerance has become clearer to me. Dixon writes, "True tolerance does not involve accepting every viewpoint as true and valid; it involves treating with love and humility someone whose opinions you believe to be untrue and invalid."

This statement confirms my belief that being tolerant of other beliefs does not dictate that I stop believing what I believe. What it does dictate is that while I consistently hold and proclaim my belief, I also treat with respect and dignity those who disagree with me and whom I am attempting to convince to believe as I believe.

Christians have been labeled as intolerant, I think, for two reasons. One, because people find our beliefs to be repulsive, which should not surprise us given the Bible tells us that the natural man (or the lost) will consider the gospel foolish and those who believe it, fools. Second, because Christians in their evangelistic efforts have often been unkind, disrespectful and prejudicial toward those who disagree with them and hold opposing views.

If we truly want to be tolerant, we must learn to hold our beliefs dearly, proclaim them clearly, and love others passionately, treating them with kindness and respect.

My Heart

What can I say about my heart? Is it in the spiritual condition that it ought to be? Is it tuned to the notes of Heaven's song, or is it sour or sharp? When my heart is played by the events of life and out of its abundance overflows words and deeds, is the melody a sweet and joyous one, or is it a harsh and critical note?

I pray that my heart is right. I pray that God through his Word would tune it to perfection so that every note that issues forth from it is a praise to His glorious grace and a witness of His marvelous love.

How can this happen? How can my heart be made right? I know the answer and always have. I must hide His Word there and His Word will sanctify me and prepare my heart to play the song of Heaven.

May it be so.