Thoughts on Life and Leading

Many of you have prayed for Sarai, a little girl who, three months ago, was removed by her drug addicted father from Casa Shalom orphanage in Guatemala. Thank God, she was returned to the home late last night. Understand, this was a matter of life and death for this precious little one. God spared her. Let’s now pray that she will not suffer long-term results of the ordeal she has been through over the past few months.

We are in a series called, “Refreshing Your Soul”. We are focusing primarily on Psalms 23. I received a couple of requests for part of today’s message to be posted here. I hope you find it beneficial.

Here is the part I called “The Break Down of Psalms 23” (Although I made a couple of adjustments, this is not original with me.)

The 23rd Psalms broken down into bite size pieces…
My shepherd: relationship
Shall not want: supply
Green pastures: rest
Still waters: refreshment
Restores my soul: healing
Paths of righteousness: guidance
His name’s sake: purpose
Valley: testing
Fear no evil: protection
Art with me: faithfulness
Rod and staff: comfort
They comfort me: encouragement
Table: hope
Head with Oil: consecration
Runs over: abundance
Goodness and mercy all the days: blessing
House of the Lord: security
Forever: eternity

These are the things that your Good Shepherd offers you!

Now, this is the part of the message when I talked about “Parodies of the 23rd Psalms.” Remember, a parody is “a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing.” This is not intended to be sacrilegious – don’t be offended.

My intellect is my shepherd, my reasoning capacity supplies all I will ever need. My ability to figure it all out allows me to be calm and to enjoy an inner peace. My scholarly accomplishments dictate my spiritual health. My ability to conduct research and be rational before making a decision is what guides me into my desired path. When I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for, for my ability to comprehend will provide the comfort I will need. My understanding takes care of me when in the presence of my enemies, my cup of wisdom overflows. Surely common sense and sound judgment will be with me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of intelligence forever.

My youth is my shepherd, my good health is all I need. Being young allows me to be strong enough to make it to the green pastures and still water, but who needs to rest? Being young is refreshing! I hear of other people who walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but it will never happen to me. I am comforted by the fact that I am invincible. My strength and vitality allows me to overcome my enemies. Surely strength and health will follow me all the days of my long life and I will stay young forever!

My money is my shepherd, I can buy everything I want. With enough of it, I can purchase a green pasture (the color of money) and a river full of still waters. Money will guide me in paths of happiness. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, lots of money will buy the best health care and I will not be afraid! My money is with me! My money provides a table of the finest food while me enemy just sits and watches. My money cup overflows. Surely my riches will stay with me all the days of my life and I will dwell in a multi-million dollar mansion forever!

I wrote a few more, but they are probably a little rough for usage here. Thanks for all of the affirmation from this series.

I took a quick trip to Hutchinson Island yesterday for some much appreciated time off. Included below are a few pictures I hope you will enjoy. It seems to me that focusing on God and getting back to a basic understanding of faith in Him is easier in nature. Maybe it is the natural beauty that reveals how awesome He is. Maybe it is getting away from the crowds of people that makes this happen. Either way, it worked for me! My head is clear and my heart is full. I am now much better prepared a weekend of ministry.

Click on the first two pictures to enlarge so you can see the dragonfly.

God cares more about me as His son than He does about me as a Pastor. He doesn’t look at me harshly or judgmentally, he looks at me with compassion and mercy. He loves me unconditionally. He is not ashamed of my failures, He does not wish that I was more like another of His children. He is not impatient with me, wondering if I will ever grow up. He doesn’t accept me based on my performance. He doesn’t love me more when I do a good job. He would not trade me in for someone else. He doesn’t walk away from me when I preach bad or when I don’t pray as much as I should. When I misinterpret His Word, He is patient. He really loves me as His son.

No matter how hard I try, how hard I work, or how much I improve, God won’t love me any more than He does right now. If I get it all right, say all the right things and make all of the right decisions, I will still be viewed as His son, no more and no less. I can’t do better than that!

If I get to heaven, it won’t be because I spent my life working in His kingdom. I won’t gain entrance because I am ordained. Preaching is not a ticket to eternity. The list He reads from won’t have a special section for “Reverends”, “Bishops” or “Pastors”. The only special section is for His kids.

It’s good to know.

Lord Jesus, my great High Priest,
You have called me to Your priesthood to carry on the work which You began. Fit me, I pray You, for this task, with such faith that through my voice even the disbelieving may listen to Your Word. With such hope that through my hands even the despairing may be held fast in Your grip. And with such charity that through my heart even the despised may know that You can never cease to love them. Join me so deeply to Yourself that no one I meet shall lie beyond Your saving reach.
Amen.

I plan to use these verses from Isaiah in the message I preach at Maranatha tomorrow. I think it is so full of hope, what a great chapter! One of my favorites.

Isaiah 35:1 Thirsty deserts will be glad; barren lands will celebrate and blossom with flowers. 2 Deserts will bloom everywhere and sing joyful songs. They will be as majestic as Mount Lebanon, as glorious as Mount Carmel or Sharon Valley. Everyone will see the wonderful splendor of the LORD our God. 3 Here is a message for all who are weak, trembling, and worried: 4 “Cheer up! Don’t be afraid. Your God is coming to punish your enemies. God will take revenge on them and rescue you.” 5 The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed. 6 Those who were lame will leap around like deer; tongues once silent will begin to shout. Water will rush through the desert. 7 Scorching sand will turn into a lake, and thirsty ground will flow with fountains. Grass will grow in wetlands, where packs of wild dogs once made their home. 8 A good road will be there, and it will be named “God’s Sacred Highway.” It will be for God’s people; no one unfit to worship God will walk on that road. And no fools can travel on that highway. 9 No lions or other wild animals will come near that road; only those the LORD has saved will travel there. 10 The people the LORD has rescued will come back singing as they enter Zion. Happiness will be a crown they will always wear. They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows and worries will be gone far away. (CEV)

I like to think of myself as a solutions-oriented guy. I am not all that crazy about spending lots of time discussing problems, give me a problem-solving session any day. Better yet, just solve the problem and let’s skip the discussion altogether.

All that being said, if someone were to ask me about the greatest need of our ministry, and in a larger sense, the greatest need of our culture, I have a pretty clear answer ready: leaders.

The answers to our problems are not in more money or more time or better buildings or a slicker program. We are not going to accomplish what God wants by hiring a great advertising agency or by working with an awesome consulting firm. What we need are men and women to step up and show by example what being a Christ-follower is all about. We need people on whom we can count. We need folks who get the idea that leadership means people watch and follow, hopefully even imitate. We are in desperate need of people who are not afraid to be on the frontline. Not a title, not a position, not a figurehead leader; real leaders. I think I drive our leaders crazy when I tell them time after time, “I want to be able to point to you and tell others, ‘just do what they do’”. To me, this defines a leader. They are trusted, they are respected. They arrive early and they stay late. They are there.

I am finding myself spending more and more time asking God to help us to develop great leaders. I am also dealing with some impatience in regard to some who need to be leading, but for some reason are not.

Romans 12:8 If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. (NLT)

Let me sum it up: if you are asked by God to influence someone for Him, get with it! If we have people in leadership who are called to be there, we won’t have to worry about success. It will find us!

I have some really great pictures from our recent trip to Guatemala. I have divided them into two categories: Casa Shalom and Rio Bravo. The first set shows our visit to the orphanage where our daughter and her husband serve as missionaries (thehansonsinguatemala.blogspot.com). We delivered shoes and clothes collected by Maranatha Church. The second post shows pictures from Rio Bravo, a very poor community where we helped serve breakfast to hungry children. I hope you enjoy the pictures and get inspired to do something similar. Just click on a picture to enlarge.

It seems to me that the most effective ministry is simple ministry. It is when we are fulfilling the most basic of commands of the Lord that we find what truly works.

Love God. Love people.

Ministry is too complicated. Strategic planning and tactical blueprints have their place. But nothing replaces the joy of pure ministry of taking care of the hurting, feeding the hungry and showing mercy.

Let’s keep it simple, folks. Let God’s love do its work.

The following connects with part three of Tough Guys of the Bible, a current teaching series at Maranatha Church.

When do you write a person off?
How many chances does one get?
If an individual continues to live a life of failure, can we afford to keep providing another opportunity?

The story of Simon Peter in the Bible is an amazing one. Through most of his public life, he is the epitome of impulsive living and quickly spoken but soon broken promises.

It would have been easy for Jesus to quit:
Peter talked too much.
He was a hot head.
He misrepresented the kingdom of Christ.
And worst of all, Peter denied knowing Jesus when Jesus really could have used a friend.

But Jesus must have seen something in Peter that caused Him to keep working with him. He saw something of value, something that could be redeemed and could make a massive difference in the lives of millions of Christ-followers for generations to come. Jesus understood that what was happening in Peter’s life was a huge test. The devil was trying to shred Peter. But Jesus also knew that, in the end, Peter would win. So He kept working with him.

I’m glad he did. It gives me a little more hope for myself and others like me. When we don’t “get it” the first time around, or forty seventh or ninety third, God doesn’t quit.

So how many chances do we get?
I guess it all depends on what Christ sees in us as it relates to potential.
For our sakes, I hope He sees something good in us, I hope He doesn’t give up on us. I don’t think He will any time soon.

Jeremiah 6:16 God’s Message yet again: “Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, The tried-and-true road. Then take it. Discover the right route for your souls. (here’s the part I wish wasn’t true) But they said, ‘Nothing doing. We aren’t going that way.’ (The Message)

Why do we insist on going our own way?

One of the best things we are working on right now is a little project to put new shoes on the feet of some orphans. At Christmas, Maranatha Church gave new shoes (as well as lots of clothes and toys) to all of the kids at Casa Shalom Orphanage in San Lucas, Guatemala. Since, in most cases, this was their only pair of shoes, they are in desperate need of replacement. We put out an opportunity at our worship services on Sunday for anyone who wanted to buy a pair of shoes for a kid. In usual fashion, the great people at Maranatha stepped up and got excited about the project.

So here is the time frame:
This week – our friends go shoe shopping.
This coming Sunday morning – we bring the new shoes to church with us.
Sunday afternoon – we pack all of the shoes in suitcases.
Next Monday morning – we fly out of Miami to Guatemala, shoes in tow.
Next Tuesday – the kids of Casa Shalom get brand new shoes! All 60 of them!
Next Wednesday, we hop a plane back home, hearts full.

For a few months, Letha and I have been collecting new clothes for the kids. We plan to take these six suitcases of clothes when we go. In all, nine suitcases or about 450 pounds of clothes and shoes will go to the kids.

By the way, Maranatha is also providing new underwear and socks for all of the kids.
This may seem like a simple thing, and no big deal. But if you are a child living at the orphanage, it is a VERY BIG DEAL!

Thanks everybody! I can’t wait to post the pictures upon my return.

A good friend sent this to me this week. It is a very effective reminder to those who speak on behalf of the Lord. Thanks, Stephen.

I took this shot on Sunday afternoon. Pretty intricate detail on his web. Also pretty scary looking little guy in the middle. Click on the picture to enlarge.

The following is connected to the message series, Tough Guys of the Bible at Maranatha Church. On Sunday, we discussed the life of King David and, specifically, his recovery from the sin of adultery and murder. Refer to II Samuel 11 and Psalm 51.

How does one get on the road to recovery, when one has been a complete failure? When compromise of morals and values has been our path, how is it corrected? Is it possible to hold your head up when you know what you have done and everyone else knows what you have done?

It seems that we respond in one of two ways in our restoration after a fall. Either the sin is minimized and we behave as though our collapse is no big deal or we allow the collapse to absolutely destroy the rest of our lives. Depending on the level of the fall and the seriousness of our sin, a more balanced response is more effective.

I am thinking about King David’s disgrace after his affair with Bathsheba (II Samuel 11). He was the most highly recognized man in the country. Everyone knew him and they knew about his sin. They all knew that he fathered a child with a woman to whom he was not married. They knew that he was responsible for the death of his mistress’s husband. How could he possibly ever again show his face in public? How would anyone ever trust him? How could he ever recover his reputation? How could he ever have one ounce of self respect after this embarrassment?

Flirting with over simplification, I will offer a few ideas:

Quit lying: David initially lied about his affair. He lied to his followers, to himself and to God. As long as we are lying about our sin, we will never recover. Step up and be honest.
Start confessing: This is the awkward part. The book of James connects our confession of sin to our healing (James 5:16). Confession is cathartic, it has a way of cleaning us out. Until we confess, we are still deceiving.
Beat yourself up, (to a reasonable extent): Refer to Psalm 51. Failure is a big deal. We are sometimes pretty quick to gloss over the seriousness of our issues. We do believe in grace and know that forgiveness is available. But we should also know that sin has negative consequences. A season of mourning is necessary following a fall and is an important part of the restoration process. Shortcuts are not a good idea when it comes to recovery.
Repent: This word literally means to “think a different way”, to turn around how we are living. In other words, stop doing the thing that is wrong. Repetitive behavior and redundant sin make it nearly impossible to have enough confidence to actually believe in forgiveness and restoration.
Move on: get up, get out of the mud and get going again with life. Wallowing in guilt is counterproductive. Once God has forgiven you, it is time to forgive yourself and get back on track. Word of warning: other people won’t forgive or forget. Thank God that they are not the judge!

Psalm 51:1-12 (NET) “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! 2 Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! 3 For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin.4 Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me.5 Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.6 Look, you desire integrity in the inner man; you want me to possess wisdom.7 Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.8 Grant me the ultimate joy of being forgiven! May the bones you crushed rejoice! 9 Hide your face from my sins! Wipe away all my guilt! 10 Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me! 11 Do not reject me! Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me!12 Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey!”

Ambition is not a bad thing, but depending on your exposure, the word can carry a negative connotation. The ambitious types are usually perceived as the money grabbers, the media hogs, the positions seekers. I say ambition is not necessarily all bad. It all depends on how it is defined and carried out. A simple definition of ambition is, “desiring success.” There is nothing inherently wrong with that, now is there?

It is when the ambition gets misguided that we are headed for trouble.

The phrase “selfish ambition” shows up five times in the NIV Bible (Galatians 5:20, Philippians 1:17, Philippians 2:3, James 3:14, James 3:16). Each time, we are warned against it. It seems to me that it is the selfish aspect of the concept that creates the problems. Desiring success that elevates us above others, takes advantage of others or pushes other people down is wrong, anyway you slice it.

So how can ambition be anything other than selfish?

Another phrase comes to mind: Tempered ambition. I will define this as, “chasing the rights things, the right way.” Desiring God’s definition of success is a good thing. Doing the right things the right way is a good thing. Succeeding without compromising our integrity is vital.

Go ahead and be ambitious. In fact, please desire success. Just be sure it is the non-selfish variety.

For several weeks, we have been praying for a little girl named Sarai. Until recently, she lived at Casa Shalom orphanage in Guatemala. A few weeks ago, her father removed her from the home and there has been much concern about her well being. Josh and Jessica Hanson work at the orphanage and recently blogged about some slightly encouraging news. Check it out on their blog: thehansonsinguatemala.blogspot.com.

Let me encourage you to keep believing and praying for things that may seem impossible. God has a way of working things out.

The following is based on the Old Testament book in the Bible, Judges, chapters 13-16. It also connects with a teaching series at Maranatha Church, The Tough Guys of the Bible.

Samson, did you not recognize the value of the gift that God had given you from birth?
Samson, why could you not control your lust for women?
Why did you disrespect your wife so much that you would leave her and then return, presuming that she would be there, just waiting for you?
(On a side note: How did you catch 300 foxes?!)
Why were you so manipulated by the phrase, “you don’t love me”?
Why didn’t you learn from your mistakes? You kept repeating them! You kept falling for the same tricks!
Why did you stay with women who so obviously wanted to destroy you? Was the sex that great? Were you so insecure that the negative attention was better than no attention? Was your conquest of women more important than your conquest of God’s enemies?
Did you ever stop to wonder why God allowed you to remain so strong, when your life was so out of control? Did you not see this strength as a true gift to be treasured?
Samson, why did you squander such an awesome opportunity to do something so great for God?
Samson, think of what could have been. How much more could you have accomplished for God, how much longer could you have lived? How much greater could your life have been, if only you have remained separated unto God!

Why modern day “Samson”?

For the last many months, we have been involved in a humanitarian effort to feed starving children. Our daughter Jessica and her husband, Josh serve as missionaries in Guatemala. They were informed of a community where, because of various issues, children were literally starving to death. Along with some other missionaries, they immediately started coordinating efforts to take in food to support the feeding program that had just begun, under the direction of a local pastor whose name is Freddie.

Jess and Josh began buying food in mass quantities and delivering it to the church where the children ate. Visiting teams from the US began to make this two hour trip from Guatemala City. 140 children have been eating breakfast every day, thanks to the efforts of these people. Letha and I have been there and seen, first-hand, what happens. It truly is an awe-inspiring thing.

Recently, a generous donor in the US gave enough money toward this effort that more hungry children can be fed. Beginning in just a few days, 100 additional kids will eat breakfast every day at the church! Please understand, these are not children who have other options. They could not just stay at home and eat if the program were not there. They would not eat at all. They are sick and malnourished. Many are emaciated.

I consider this entire project to be a miracle. Now 240 kids who would otherwise go hungry, are eating a good meal every day. God bless Jess and Josh for their efforts. God bless the teams that buy food and go there to serve. God bless Pastor Freddie. And God bless the generous donor who heard of the need and stepped up and gave. Most of all, God bless the kids of Rio Bravo!

He really does love them, I hope they can see and experience that through our efforts. If you want to get involved, contact Jessica and Josh at: TheHansonsinGuatemala@gmail.com