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The Greatest Glory

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

His hands were shaking and beads of sweat formed above his lip and his forehead. "It seems like every time I'm in this room with you I get nervous!" he said with a wry grin.

He was right. I had seen his hands shake and the beads of sweat form two other times when he was in the same room. The first time was when I was privileged to be a part of his being baptized into Christ. The second time was when he married his wife -- I performed the marriage service that day. This third time, however, he was in charge. He was getting ready to baptize his own daughter into Christ. Yep, he was nervous, but nervous with deep joy.

I didn't have an official part in the third event that brought him back into the back room, but I can tell you it was my happiest moment of the three. Sure I loved baptizing him. You bet I was excited to be able to officiate his marriage service. The third time gave me the greatest joy because here was a man, a mature believer, and a dad. I had seen him mature through the years and now he was passing on his faith to his daughter!

Few situations bring more powerful joy than when we get to witness someone in whom we've invested pass on what they now believe and hold as their own faith, to someone else. Two passages come to my mind as I think about this. The first is from John, talking about the maturing young Christians in a church he oversees:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth (3 John 1:4 TNIV).

The second is from Paul, talking about Timothy and how Timothy had absorbed Paul's passion, teaching, and lifestyle and could pass it on to others:

For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Our goal in any form of Jesus-styled leadership -- whether as a parent, Bible class teacher, small group leader, boss, work team leader, manager, teacher, coach, etc. -- must be to reduplicate our strongest traits in others who can then carry on the task, mission, effort, outreach, ministry, and goals that lie close to our heart. In fact, our greatest delight as an influencer and leader is seeing those we lead carry on "our" mission as their own. More than just being a junior version of ourselves, we want them to take our best qualities and add their own skill set and passions to do an even better job in ways we never could!

Notice how Paul speaks about this in regard to his son in the faith, Timothy. In the first statement, Paul stresses to Timothy the multi-generational nature of genuine leadership:

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

This second quote shows Paul's confidence that Timothy can perform this task!

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel (Philippians 2:19-22).

In the Kingdom of God, leadership is not associated with garnering glory here on earth. Jesus was the prime example of real leadership, and he surrendered glory to come to earth as one us to share God with us (Philippians 2:5-11). Instead, a Christ-formed leader's greatest glory is seeing those in whom he or she has invested sharing a similar passion, living similar values, and adding their unique gifts and interests to the mix. At the heart of any shepherding leader following in the footsteps of Jesus is the power of example and the joy of seeing others pass on what the leader has invested in them.

I'm with John, "I have no greater joy" than to see those in whom I've invested doing what I did, except better! And about those precious ones in whom we've invested, I say with Paul:

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).

The following are for your personal reflection as well as for use in discussion with others in small groups, house churches, or LIFE groups. I'd also love to hear your take on any of these questions on my blog: http://thephilfiles.com

Who is someone who has invested in you to help you become the woman or man of God that you are today?

What would you like to say about them to thank them for their investment?

When was the last time you said it?

Why not write them a note and thank them now if they are still living and if they have gone to be with the Lord, then thank one of their children or grandchildren telling them about this person who made such a difference in your life?

Who is someone in whom you are investing -- or should be investing -- your passion, values, and goals?

What skills and character qualities do you see in them?

How can they bless the Kingdom of God?

When was the last time you told them these things?

How are you going to share these things with them in the near future?

A friend once said, "We can't live for our children, that's too limited a horizon. We must live for our grandchildren! That means we've got to help our children pass on to our grandchildren what we hold as most valuable to us."

What do you think about this thought?

How does this more accurately reflect what Paul taught to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:1-2)?

How did Jesus embody this principle of passing on faith to multiple generations?

How can you embody this principle in your relationships?

What is your greatest glory and joy in your influence and leadership of others?

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

God Knows

tim@hopeforlife.org (Tim Archer) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Late in his life, the apostle John finds himself in a prison of sorts, exiled to the island of Patmos. The island is tiny, only 25 square miles (64 square kilometers). It is a barren place where political prisoners are sent to contemplate their actions. John's crime is a simple one: he is a follower of Jesus Christ.

There on Patmos, John has an impressive vision of Jesus, risen from the dead and standing triumphantly. Jesus shares with John a message of hope and encouragement for his followers that are about to suffer a time of persecution. This message, contained in the Book of Revelation, is couched in symbolic language, a style of writing commonly used at that time. While much of it seems strange to us, the symbols used in Revelation would have been familiar to the original readers.

John sees Jesus standing in the middle of seven golden lampstands, which Jesus later explains: "The seven lampstands are the seven churches" (Revelation 1:20). John then receives seven letters for seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, an area where the Roman emperor was about to make problems for the Christians. Jesus begins the first letter by saying: "These are the words of him who ... walks among the seven golden lampstands" (Revelation 2:1).

The message of this image is as simple as it is important: when Jesus' followers face difficult times, Jesus is there with them. He stands in the middle of his churches, not far from them. In each of the seven letters, Jesus uses the phrase "I know ..." He knows what they've done, he knows their circumstances, he knows the enemies they face and the struggles they have. He writes to them as one who is infinitely familiar with every aspect of their lives. He walks among the lampstands.

None of that has changed. God knows you. He knows the good things you've done and the mistakes you've made. He knows the obstacles you've faced and what you've had to face them with. He knows your abilities and your possibilities even better than you do.

And he's not far away. He's nearby, waiting for you to turn to him and ask him for help. Whether you are facing persecution from the government or temptation from a co-worker, God wants to give you the strength to face whatever it is that threatens to pull you away from him. He's close. He knows. And he cares.

I'd love to tell you more. Visit our blog at http://hopeforlife.org or write to me at tarcher@heraldoftruth.org

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org)
© Herald of Truth

Tim works for Herald of Truth and writes for HopeForLife. He is the co-author of Letters From The Lamb. You can reach him by writing to tim@hopeforlife.org.

Website: HopeForLife

Back to Basics

rshelly@rc.edu (Rubel Shelly) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

With the World Series recently completed, maybe a baseball story is in order. No, it isn't about the Yankees or Phillies. It is about the start of an expansion team almost half a century ago. Specifically, it is about that team's manager.

The name Casey Stengel will be associated forever with the glory days of the New York Yankees. He managed those fabulous teams that fielded Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle. They won pennant after pennant, World Series after World Series. As those players aged and retired, though, the team's fortunes went south. And Stengel had to find another job -- even before the days of quick-to-fire-managers of the George Steinbrenner style.

It just so happened that a new Major League Baseball team had been formed in New York, and the fledgling Mets offered Stengel the manager's job. He accepted. Not known for getting the details exactly right, this is what he said at his media introduction as the Mets' first skipper: "It's a great honor for me to be joining the Knickerbockers." (Oops! The Knicks play professional basketball.)

Explaining why his first pick in the expansion draft was a catcher, Stengel gave one of his classic replies. "You gotta start with a catcher, 'cause if you don't," he said, "you'll have all passed balls." It's hard to argue with that logic!

In the Mets' first year of play, Casey's Castoffs lost 120 games. He must have known what was coming. At the team's first spring training in 1962, he took his players for a stroll around the diamond. "Them are the bases," he told them.

Although not competitive that year, the Mets gradually got better. Eight years later, they made it to the World Series.

Stengel was right. A baseball team needs to know where the bases are. And it does need a catcher to keep the ball from flying back to the wall with every pitch. These are among the basics to the game of baseball.

All of us need to get back to the essentials on occasion. It is easy to get sidetracked with fascinations and forget why we chose a particular career, made the commitment to love a certain person until death, or put our faith in Jesus.

If you have lost your early enthusiasm for any of life's truly important things, maybe it's because you've neglected the basics. You can get so weighed down with problems and squeezed by demands that you lose the joy God built into life. So maybe you need to get back to the fundamentals. Focus. Simplify.

Jesus gave a back-to-basics answer to a man who wanted to know about heaven's most important commandment:

Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as you love yourself. These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them (Matthew 22:37-40 MSG).

When you remember the basics, all of life works so much better.

© Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly's "FAX of Life" printed each Tuesday. See Faith Matters for previous issues of the "FAX of Life."

Rubel Shelly preached for the Woodmont Hills Churchin Nashville for thirty years. He is the author of more than 20 books. He has accepted the position of President of Rochester College. For more details, click here or here to email.

Website: RubelShelly.com

Even in Mayberry

shigg@glasgow-ky.com (Steve Higginbotham) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Yesterday morning I was reading headline news from across the nation and one headline in particular grabbed my attention. It read:

Man Charged With Killing 4 In Mayberry Model Town.

On Sunday, November 1, 2009, four men were murdered in the small town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. For those of you who are not fans of the "Andy Griffith Show," you may not know that Mt. Airy is the hometown of Andy Griffith and served as the model and the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry on "The Andy Griffith Show."

Police have not released the reasons for the murder, but they did say that they did not believe the killings to be random. Mt. Airy is a small town and has a population of around 8,700. This violent act has turned this little community on its head.

Isn't it ironic that even in "Mayberry" we see the influence and power of the world. A town that is supposed to be the model of "small town America" is not immune from the influences of the world. Have you ever just contemplated how fallen the world is? Have you ever sat and watched the evening news and felt terrible after doing so? Have you ever wondered how people can do the "unthinkable" things they do? The evening news feeds us a steady diet of immoral and unconscionable acts perpetrated on fellow human beings. After a while, such "bad news" can have a negative impact on our emotional and spiritual well-being.

But here's my advice: Don't allow the events of this fallen world to bring you down. Rather, let this fallen world cause you to lift your eyes in expectation and hope for a better world that is yet to come! Remember that God never promised us that we would have Heaven on Earth, "but according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13 NASB).

Through the years, many have wistfully wanted "Mayberry" to be their hometown. For the child of God, they have claim to a hometown that far surpasses that of "Mayberry"!

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21).

© Steve Higginbotham

Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the South Green Street congregation in Glasgow, Kentucky. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

Website: MERCeMAIL

Beyond the Clouds

tomnorvell@mac.com (Tom Norvell) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

After three days of beautiful autumn weather in New York City, I headed to the airport on a cold cloudy and gray morning. By the time I arrived at the airport, heavy rain had begun to fall. The walls of glass in the waiting area were soon fogged up and covered with blowing rain as the weather changed from beautiful to gloomy.

It was still raining when I boarded my flight. I took my window seat and looked out to see one last view of the city. There was only a faint vision of the New York skyline and memories of the beauty of the previous day. We taxied out to the runway and within seconds after liftoff the images of the city were hidden behind a sea of thick dark clouds.

As we continued to climb, the darkness began to brighten, and within a short time we were above the clouds. Below us was a light fluffy blanket of clouds. All around us was nothing but blue sky and sunshine. In my head, I could hear Willie Nelson singing, "Blue skies; nothing but blue skies ..."

Then I had one of those "Duh!" moments: beyond the clouds the sun always shines! No matter what the weather is down below, when we are able to see above and beyond the clouds, we realize that the sun always shines and the skies are always blue.

Sitting there peering out the window at the clouds below and surrounded by sunshine and blue skies -- and yes, under my breath I was singing "Blue skies and rainbows and sun beams from heaven ..." -- I was reminded of the scene on the mountain when Peter, James and John were with Jesus on the mountain:

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus (Mark 9:7-8 NIV).

There was the cloud. Then, there was God.

These words of Jesus also came to mind:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33 NIV).

Perhaps Jesus was telling us that there will be times in our lives when all we can see with our eyes are clouds, but if we will keep looking with our hearts, if we will search beyond the clouds, then we will see Him.

Perhaps He is speaking to you.

Your vision is clouded by the sadness of losing a loved one, or what appears to be inevitable loss of a loved one. Will you keep looking above and beyond the cloud? He is there.

Your world is darkened by a marriage that appears to be falling apart, or a marriage characterized by apathy and disrespect from your partner, or a marriage that seems hopelessly lost to busy schedules and an over-commitment to climb the ladder of success. Will you look beyond the clouds? He is there. He can help.

The cloud of a life filled of dishonesty, deceit, cover-ups, and pretense engulfs your life. Will you look beyond the cloud? He is there. He can help. He wants to help.

Your family is completely covered with a cloud heartache, loss, and grief. Will you look beyond the cloud? He is there. He can help. He wants to help. He understands your pain.

Your future is hidden by a cloud of hopelessness due to a past of broken dreams, failures, and disappointment. Will you look beyond the cloud? He is there. He can help. He wants to help. He understands your pain. He can give you a new dream.

In this life there will be clouds. But, take heart. He has risen above the clouds. He is there. He invites you to rise above the clouds with Him. You can see him ... if you'll look beyond the clouds.

© Tom Norvell. Used by permission. A Norvell Note is a weekly email message from Tom Norvell. Check it out!

Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the Hermitage Church of Christ in Hermitage, Tennessee.

Website: A Norvell Note

Lost and Found

phil@heartlight.org (Phil Ware) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

Our son, Zachary, was not quite two years old. I had just taken a preaching position at a new church in Austin. One Wednesday night after we had visited with a lot of folks, Donna and I both looked up and Zach had just vanished. The lights were off in every part of the building except the foyer where we were standing. Donna and I looked at each other and at the couple with whom we were visiting and we all had this stricken look of panic!

Where would a little kid go in a dark church building? Nowhere! No little kid would wander off into a dark, creepy, huge, unfamiliar space like that. The other couple took off to look outside the building. We were all panicked and feared that he may have gone out to the parking lot or wandered into the very busy street. Both of these were horribly dangerous options that we couldn't even bear to imagine! They looked outside and Donna and I tore through the building calling, looking, and hoping against hope to find our lost boy.

Then Donna peaked in a classroom with a small window that allowed in a little outside light. There, calm as could be, was Zach. He was singing and playing with toys, totally unruffled by the darkness, separation from his parents, and their panic-stricken expressions. Relief, joy, and celebration all flooded over us. Zach was missing for only a very few minutes, but our fear and panic made it feel like an eternity. We were thrilled and overjoyed to have our little boy back in our arms!

Our story with Zach pales in comparison to the recent news stories of abducted children being reunited with their parents. I cannot begin to imagine the anguish those parents faced as they waited for years, never knowing what happened to their children who were not only lost to them, but also had vanished without a trace. Hearing stories of their reunions has touched my heart and caused tears to run down my face. Yet their stories pale in comparison to the brokenhearted Father of grace who came searching for us -- you and me, his lost children -- by sending Jesus to show us his love.

God's story is a story of searching love as he yearns to find his lost children, so it is no wonder that Jesus used the image of finding a lost sheep so frequently.

Jesus came to find God's lost sheep. (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24)

The Father doesn't want any to perish, but rejoices at finding each lost sheep. (Matthew 18:10-14)

The shepherd's great joy at finding the lost sheep. (Luke 15:3-7)

Jesus came to seek and to save lost sheep -- like Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-10)

Jesus is God's message to let us know how desperately the Father wanted to find us, to reach our hearts, and to bring us home and have a party.

Jesus' most famous apostle, Peter, humbly rejoiced and reminded early followers of Jesus that each of them had once been a lost sheep:

For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:25 TNIV).

Each follower of Jesus -- even you and me -- has been brought home to God, with the angels of heaven rejoicing and the Father of glory wanting to throw a party.

How can we not celebrate with great joy that we have been included?

How can we not seek and reach out to those who have wandered away from God?

How can we not rejoice when God's lost ones come home to the Father of grace and the Great Shepherd of the sheep?

Read Luke 15:1-32 and then use the following questions for your personal reflection and group discussion in your LIFE groups, small groups, Home Gatherings, and house churches. I'd also love to hear from you on my blog about your lost and found experiences: http://thephilfiles.com

What is the most important thing in your life that you've lost, then rejoiced when you found it?

Have you ever lost a child (or a friend) in a crowd and feared something bad had happened to them?

How was this situation resolved?

Were you able to rejoice when the person was found? What did you do to celebrate?

Who are people in your life that you can help shepherd home to God?

Who is one specific person God has put on your heart that needs to come home to God?

What can you do to help others know about the love of God?

Why do you think it is so hard for many of us to celebrate and have a party when God's lost sheep come home?

Have you ever found yourself, or someone else you know, resenting those who have been away from God but who have been brought back home?

How do we help these folks, and ourselves, let go and rejoice like God does with the angels of heaven when his lost children come home?

© Phil Ware. All rights reserved.

Phil Ware is minister of the Word at Southern Hills Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. For the past 10+ years, he has also been co-editor of HEARTLIGHT Magazine. For more details, click
here.

Website: Southern Hills Church of Christ

Which Way Does Your Name Tag Face?

steve@hopeforlife.org (Steve Ridgell) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600
I was at a large convention recently where all the participants wore name tags around their neck. This is a really good idea. It lets people know who you are, prompts you when you cannot remember names, and gives you a visual aid when you are meeting people. Name tags identify the company people work for. They let you know who you are talking to. But they only work when they are facing the right way. If they are turned around, they are absolutely useless.

Why would you wear a name tag no one is able to read? Why would you forget to check and be sure it had not twisted the wrong direction? Maybe they do not care if anyone knows their name. Maybe they do not want anyone to know who they are. Maybe they are ashamed of whom they are, or the company they work for.

I have known Christians who want to keep their identity secret. Maybe they are ashamed of things in their life, or they are embarrassed to be seen as a Jesus follower, or perhaps they do not even realize they are hiding their identity.

Jesus did not call us to live as "hidden" believers. The very act of coming to Jesus is not done in secret. It involves confession and baptism. From that point on, Christians serve as light in a dark world pointing to Jesus.

If you believe in Jesus, but are still living as if it were a secret, let me help you turn your name tag around. Visit our blog at www.hopeforlife.org.
Or write me at steve@hopeforlife.org

(Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article.
© Herald of Truth Ministries

Steve Ridgell serves as the Director of Ministry for Herald of Truth Ministries in Abilene, Texas and writes for Hopeforlife.org. You can reach him by writing to sridgell@heraldoftruth.org.

Website: Hope for Life!