when business hijacks ministry – and your life!

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

- Matthew 8.34-37

The pilgrim’s journey is a hard one, and it’s easy to get off track.  Even when you think you’re on the right one.

As much as I hate to admit it, I let idolatry creep into my daily life.  My business as a mobile small engine repair service did what I thought was really unthinkable: it began to force it’s way into being a top priority.  Some of the symptoms were pretty unnoticeable at first, and I explained them away pretty quickly.  Then came spiritual coldness.  Then the wandering mind during activities such as prayer, always back to the worries and concerns dealing with making a profit.  Soon came the tendency to think everyone else was as interested in the business as I was – to the point where I stopped listening to others and what they had to say – I was doing all of the talking.  The busyness leeched over into hostility inside, as anything that threatened my time ‘needed’ in order to perform jobs became a hindrance and an annoyance.  Even worthless, a waste.  I began to see Bible study and my ministry of teaching in the same light – but yet I still kept on.

Finally, God brought some circumstances that cut me off at the knees.

First, numbers don’t lie.  For all the time that I put into the business, it became a bag with a huge hole in the bottom.  Then came my new illness – cluster headaches.  Living with them and the treatment that keeps them at bay has all but removed the physical strength needed to perform my regular job well.  From there, I began to run across repair jobs that defied any effort to be resolved, despite considerable time, research and energy.  Even the easy ones.   Finally, the day came when I realized that I was just exhausted, stressed out, and not having fun anymore.  It no longer was about the joy of helping someone out – it became a fight to survive as a business.

So here I am.

I can’t keep ‘kicking against the pricks’ and expect that I will improve or even flourish spiritually.  It begs the question – “Why am I doing what I am?” I think that the answer began to morph from “To the glory of God” to “So I look good before others, and gain their approval”.  And money.  There’s always that.

Now comes an even harder battle – it’s called swallowing an ocean of pride.  Everything from contacting the government agencies, to closing the bank and credit accounts, to selling the truck I thought would be the answer to all the problems with the business.  It won’t be easy.

However…

If I can reach a point where the repair work is motivated by ministry, if I can become a blessing to those who need help and I have had to put them off because of misplaced priorities, and most of all, I can get back to what God has really called me to do (one such thing is this blog page) then all the effort will certainly be worth it.

Lord willing.

being the customer that you would want to serve

³⁵Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

³⁶Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

³⁷Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

³⁸This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

- Matthew 22.35-40

     Here’s the question: if you were the one running checkout as a cashier, or putting your order together, or looking up the price and availability of your part, or processing your bank transaction, or trying to solve your problem or complaint…would you want to?  Simply put – if the tables were turned, the roles reversed, what would you think of your own attitude?  If you are cringing inside, or even if you aren’t…let’s talk.

It’s a rude, rude, rude, rude world

     There is lots of talk nowadays about entitlement, and it has negative connotations.  Rightly so.  People who think they are owed something, especially if they didn’t work for it or even deserve it, generally strike fear into many retail establishments or restaurants the second they hit the door.  They demand top-notch treatment – usually in a way that is borderline abusive to the employees of that business – when they do nothing to deserve such treatment.  In fact, quite the opposite.  Many times they make needlessly difficult or even ridiculous demands on those who many times are sincerely interested in helping them.  Or whine about how expensive everything is.  Or that eveything is made overseas and not in the U.S.A. (sorry folks, it’s a moot point now – our role as a production-based economy disappeared decades ago.  Welcome to the ‘new normal’) Or demand that the clerk find them products that simply do not exist or are just not available just the way they want them (ie. color).

     So…you can’t do much about the jerks out there.  I’m really not asking you to.  I know that it’s no use – just smile and wave, boys…smile and wave!  Here’s the question du jour: Are YOU the tyrant that is a poor Christian witness out in the marketplace in your role as a customer?  If so, you are not only doing a great dis-service to others, but breaking Commandment #3 in a HUGE way.  How?  Blaspheming the name of Christ.  When you take on the name ‘Christian’, that also means acting in a manner reflective of your status…and when you act like Attila the Hun, well, guess what?  God’s name gets dragged down.

    Here is a short list of some helpful ways to be the customer that God wants you to be.  You never know – it may actually start a conversation that leads to an opportunity to witness:

Patience – Yeah.  You’re in a hurry.  We get it.  What we don’t get is why you think your schedule takes priority over everyone else’s.  While you should not expect to suffer at the hands of a slug, or someone careless that can’t quit texting their friends, or pause their conversation with a co-worker about their trip out to the lake, you also gotta realize that there are people who are new on the job, or have a bad headache and can’t afford time off from work.  Or have a dying parent.  Or sick child.  Weigh your reactions carefully – not is all what it appears on the surface.

Politeness – No one likes a rude person…if you reek of an entitlement-based attitude, do not be surprised at all if you don’t get the best of treatment.  If you do, then pay attention to that person very closely: they get the concept of repaying good for evil.  Guess what one you are exhibiting…hmmm?

Policy – If you are being given bad news by an employee that is trying their best to serve you, such as they can’t process returned merchandise without a receipt, or you have to see someone else to get a problem resolved, or the store no longer has the item you want in stock or at the price you want it to be, then don’t take it out on that person.  They are just doing their job, and chances are they would do more if they could.  But they can’t.  So they won’t.  End of story.  Find the person who makes the rule and direct it at them via the phone or email.  Nothing makes you look more foolish than berating a truly innocent party over something that they have no control over.  You wouldn’t like it – they don’t either.

Personality – Contrary to popular belief, customer service is still rendered in many cases by actual human beings…not machines.  So, why not be friendly?  Many get burned out by a public that consistently regards store employees as fixtures or payment-taking entities.  Try being encouraging – it may truly make someone’s day!

Praise – When someone goes out of their way to do a good job, tell them!  Granted, that person doesn’t expect “glad-handing’ and compliments all the time, but a well-placed ‘atta-boy’, or acknowledgement of the skills and knowledge of the person taking care of you, or even going so far to send an email to their corporate office really can make a difference.  Many folks are doing the best they can to not only earn a paycheck, but sincerely want to do their part to make life a little easier for others.  And that effort deserves recognition…don’t you agree?

    These are some simple ways to glorify God and show the love of Christ to others.  The best way is to ask Him to help you to be a good witness, and to use encounters with people we meet every day as the opportunities they are to share the Gospel with others.  Don’t throw those away by being obnoxious, okay?

self-denial

²⁴Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

²⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

²⁶For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

- Matthew 16.24-26

We who are under grace are even more obligated, out of sheer gratitude for the gift of the Gospel, to follow the Lord.  These passages are an examination of our lives: do we do and live as they say, or do we need to look more closely at ‘what makes us tick’.  Jesus and what He wants us to do should be our main motivation for all that we do in our lives.  For these men, it took leaving what they knew – all they knew, no doubt – and embracing Christ and His ideas for what they should become.

 

not too many posts lately…

I know that there has been a lot of visits to my blog in the past few weeks, people checking to see if I had added any new posts. Even before my current health problems, there was a decided ‘lull’ in the availability of articles here, and for that I apologize profusely…

Well, this week has been a whole lot better than the first half of this month.  I was diagnosed with ‘cluster headaches’ on the 19th after a serious attack that had unrivalled any previous headache in my history.  The pain literally shut me down right before going in to work, and I wound up leaving and going to the doctor’s office.  A few days before, I had been in there with a mysterious symptom – my pupils were two different sizes and my left eyelid was drooping noticeably.  After visiting the optometrist, nothing was pointed out as to the cause of the disorder.  Stroke testing was negative.  Would a CT scan be needed?  What if it got worse??

Now I was hitting an all-new level of pain in my head, and I didn’t care if I had made no appointment…I needed medical attention!

They mercifully examined me in a relatively short period of time.  The diagnosis was made right away because I had the classic symptoms – cluster headache.  As much as I could with the equivilant of a buzz-saw racing through the middle of my head, I read the description of the disorder.  Right away, I realized that this was not foreign to me at all – in fact, I had many periods like this over the course of 20-odd years.  Now the headaches had a name to go with the ugly, brutal face of them.

After an injection, I was sent home and soon I was resting comfortably.  My disorder is incurable, at least as far as modern medicine is knowledgable on the subject so far.  In time, there may just be.  For now, I have medication to head off more attacks, and another to deal with those that slip past the first gate of defense.  I am far more blessed in this regard than before!

All of this to say one thing: God is still good.  I think of these headaches as another reminder of sin, of the results of the fall.  It brings the curse painfully to the forefront of my mind – literally.  I also look upon days differently now.  Each day without pain is even more of a blessing – and there have been more of them lately.

I thank God for His grace.

 

if only for a while…a reminder of what trials accomplish

(Octavius Winslow, “Evening Thoughts”)

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we
are filled with joy. Those who sow in tears, will
reap with songs of joy.”  Psalm 126:3, 5

We can praise God for trials!

We can thank God for sorrows!

These have been to us, though a painful–yet
a much needed and a most blessed school.

The ‘wilderness’ has been a heavenly place on earth . . .
the lessons which we have been taught,
the truths which we have learned,
the preciousness of Jesus which we have experienced,
the love of God which we have felt,
the sweetness in prayer which we have tasted,
and the fitness for labor which we have derived,
all, all testify, as with one voice–to the unutterably
precious blessings that flow through the channel of
sacred and sanctified sorrow.

Dear reader, as painful and sad as may be the path
you now are treading–fear not; the outcome will
be most glorious. The seed you are sowing in tears,
shall yield you a golden harvest of joy!

Adversity is the school of Heaven!

And in Heaven . . . .
where no sorrow chafes,
where no tears flow,
where no blight withers,
where no disappointment sickens, and
where no sad change chills, wounds, and slays,
the sweetest praises will be awakened by the
recollection of the sanctified sorrows of earth!

ah, politics!

If there is one thing that I learned this past week, in way of self-examination, it is this: the answer is not found in November 2012.

Voting is important.  It is your God-given privilege and duty as a citizen of this country and the Kingdom of God to use whatever influence you have for His purpose and glory.  That means you go vote!  However, do NOT fall in this ditch: thinking that the solution will come from your man kicking Obama out.  Nope.  Not going to happen.  And yes, this has been my failing.  I am guilty of thinking that we will see the salvation of this country by the means of a new president.  Now, can God affect change through leaders, even those who do not love or even care for Him?  Yes.  There is plenty of proof and examples in the Bible of this happening.  Cyrus, spoken of in Ezra 6 as well as other books in the Bible such as Daniel, was a secular leader that did the will of God and brought about many changes that revived Israel.  But that was God’s workings – not man’s.  I am afraid that many of us are guilty of rabidly looking to politics alone as the great answer to our problems as a nation.  This is not the case.

So, what is the solution we need?

I think that a good place to start is the movement going on right now to examine the past, and to see where God has changed and blessed us before.  This is not a thought I derived by myself obviously, but by many things being brought about by God to my attention lately.  My heart is hopeful that this may be the beginning of the end of the stagnation of all of us, in things spiritual, in things dealing with the economy and employment, in the hopelessness and anxiety of those who surround us every day.

There are answers.

We as God’s people, those who have trusted the Gospel and repented of our sins, can go about with a renewed sense of purpose in what He is doing in our country, in our homes and in our hearts.  The time is NOW.  Pray like never before.  Commit to read the Word, and share what you learn with others around you.  Help folks.  Look at what you do every day from the perspective that God has given you what you need to do a unique work for Him – for His glory.  Act, in the knowledge that you will be before God soon enough, and will give an account for what you do and don’t do.

Make your focus be the true solution and hope: Jesus Christ.

foundations – the key to cultural survival and Christian revival!

I can’t begin to thank God enough for this trip to KY, and for the ministries of the Creation Museum and Kirk Cameron. What grace is given by the LORD to us when we desperately need it…when we know we need it, but are too distracted to acknowledge the truth!

How blind we become!

I have warned our Equipping Hour class that it can happen so easily, time and again. Soon, the ensnaring cares of this world have me chasing my tail! How comforting to know that the One who saves is the One that keeps – that it isn’t up to me, but entirely up to Him… I am just too weak!

So…what have I been shown on this trip that brings about these observations?

It's been broken for years, and now it's time to fix it!

The loss of our foundation as a nation…and as individuals.

Last night, it was the film by Kirk Cameron entitled ‘Monumental’. In it, he educated us on American history and the origins of this country. At times, I was irritated at the amount of ignorance I have regarding the Pilgrims and facts about the colonists. I mean, come on… I did pretty good in school with the exception of math! However, this feeling changed to dread as the film went on. These facts were never, ever taught to me. Some were, but not the Christian background and foundations that birthed such a great nation. Then the realization came to me, through the film’s content and message, that this is the reason we are in the huge mess we are in.

This is just the way the enemies of the freedom we enjoy, both internal and external, want it. Wow. Shocking claim, right? Well, if you get the opportunity to see this film, you will come to understand that to hate God is to despise freedom, liberty, education, wisdom…and no wonder we see the headlines we do!

Is this a ‘doom and gloom’ film? No. It is an honest assessment. Drifting may be awesome where rear-wheel drive sport cars are concerned, but it is both nauseating and disturbing when thinking about our future and our kids’ future. In fact, applause to Cameron for having the guts to point out that evangelicals with skewered eschatology have their part of the blame for the hands-off approach of the past three decades. Jesus will return, but He hasn’t yet. Quit worrying about the mark, the New World Order and – come on, the Mayan calendar? They were a heathen culture, folks! Didn’t the whole Y2K debacle teach you anything?? We got a job to do. Matthew 28:19,20. Read it – it’s there. It is this call to action that can be the start of something beautiful for the glory of God, for the Gospel. For America, but only as a blessing to His people that is the result of obedience to Him. I am a child of God first, patriotic second.

The second thing that fired up my intellect and my heart is the information I received at the Creation Museum during our visit today.  To get us off to a great  start was Chris Russell’s presentation entitled ‘Is Genesis Relevant in Today’s World?’ In it, he explained how evolution has eroded the basis for our society and the foundation of our churches.  We are in trouble.  No doubt.  However, if we quit being apathetic and trust God, believing in Him and acting in faith, things can change.  The first step is to listen, the next is to change and believe.  God can do this in those who are His.  We need to realize that we won’t win the majority – Matt 7.13,14 makes this abundantly clear.  But this isn’t a fatalist, pessimistic view.  The fact of the matter is that there are lost out there to be found, to be saved and rescued and redeemed.  I say this with certainty because Christ has not yet returned.  It may not look like it, and you may proclaim truth like Noah and come up with nada after years and years of speaking it.  But speak it…we all need to speak it!

The time is now.  Foundations may be the message, but rebuilding them is the call of the day – and the call is for all in the faith.  And those who are all in, fully committed.

we hit the road!

God is very, very good to us – despite our grousing, general grumpiness and fatigue. I had all the above today, which doesn’t say a whole lot for my character – but honesty is the best policy, and sanctification is a process…
We left for the Creation Museum Tuesday morning at 4.20 or so after about 3-4 hours of sleep. Some people can do that, like my wife. Well, the Lord bless you all, because I sure can’t pull it off! After a moment of prayer in the driveway, we headed off into the darkness. Some things we were prepared for on this journey, other things…well, not so much!
West Virginia may be almost heaven to some, but unlike the crooning lines of the late Mr Denver, we felt like we entered quite the opposite about three hours into our trek. Not sure what was more troublesome: the fact that the iPad had us super iLost after losing signal (and our maps, directions…you know, those pesky little details) or the fact that we wound up routed on the dreaded “Suggested Route #2″ which sent us through the windy back roads. This inevitably led to VomitFest 2012 and more than three hours worth of delays.
Now, this sounds like a great deal of complaining. I agree, and in fact, I’ll stop right there. You get the idea. No need to bore you or give even more graphic details of the Bataan Death Drive. Closer to the truth is the fact that I had plenty of good opportunities to think and listen to Wretched Radio. The weather, though cool, was outstanding. Ohio was very pretty. Our Lincoln sedan really hit its stride, and the upholstery held up good despite the two onslaughts. The Creation Museum is extremely cool, and the hotel is awesome. Even got Chik-fil-A for dinner (and nobody wanted their waffle fries…BONUS!!)
The fact is that God showed Himself gracious and good despite what my expectations were for our trip. He sure didn’t need to, and would have been more than capable of having things go far, far worse. I anticipate what tomorrow brings, as we go back to the museum and enjoy more of God’s creation – and His grace!

an answer to a question in a previous post…

The last post left you hanging – here’s the verse once again that we were examining:

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

- Haggai 1.8

…and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. Isn’t that what a Christian believer wants most of all?  We pray that God will be glorified by what we do, but what does this look like…what shape does it take?

Go.  This connotes action.  We are not saved or granted faith by what we do, but as a result of the gift already given by God. (Eph 2.8,9).  James 2.17-20 also sheds some light on the fruits of faith that manifest themselves as proof that one is God’s:

¹⁷Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

¹⁸Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

¹⁹Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

When a person believes the Gospel, their desire changes from themselves and their own little worlds, their “kingdoms” that they build here, to the glorification of God through what a person does by faith. Don’t miss this and don’t mess up the order here: Faith exists, then it moves forth in a believer’s life.  It must – can’t help but happen!

Then, there is labor that happens.  In a believer’s life, it can take on a number of different forms.  For me, when I sold auto parts years ago, it was to get a paycheck to buy stuff.  Now, thanks be to God, my objectives are to provide for my family, my church, and serve the community around me.  Do I follow this directive perfectly? Er…no.  I hope that by what I learn in the Bible, I move in this direction with far greater strength. The same goes for my new business venture, which God directed me towards and blesses me with.  These are exciting days!  I am certain that our church will also soon move in a direction of greater ministry and growth – we trust Him for it!

Now, for the motivation, the aim, the goal:  I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD. “I will”.  This isn’t a fallible man, political figure, a mere earthly leader or king promising this, making the big claim.  It is Almighty God.  When He says he will, HE WILL.  There is no doubt, and even if there is, so what?  God will, no matter what you think – but I believe the blessing we receive is by the trust He instills in us through this process.  We won’t doubt, because we will see faith in action, and blessing result from obedience and promise.

And God looks all the better for doing it.  Remarkable truth!  Glory to God!!

assurance and propitiation – ABC holds Bible conference

Pastor Eddie Childers will be the speaker at Alleghany Baptist Church for a one-day conference on the subject of this question: “Is there assurance in the atonement of Christ?”  The meeting will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 4pm.

There will be two sessions, one dealing with the topic of propitiation (atonement, payment) for sin, the other focussed on assurance.  Both of these lessons are sure to be very informative and interesting, as well as an opportunity to rejoice in the truth of the Gospel!

Dinner will be served at the church during the intermission between sessions.  Bluegrass music will be played by Alleghany Strings for worship and enjoyment!

For further info, please visit www.AlleghanyBaptistChurch.org