A New York family bought a ranch out west where they intended to raise cattle. Friends came to visit and asked if the ranch had a name. “Well,” said the would-be-cattleman, “I wanted to call it the Bar-J, my wife favored the Suzy-Q, one son liked the Flying-W, and the other son wanted the Lazy-Y. So, we’re calling it the “Bar-J-Suzy-Q-Flying-W-Lazy-Y.”…read more
We know that ministry has its challenges, and we trust that you are abounding in grace as you work for Him. I remember hearing one minister say that the requirements for ministry are: the heart of a child, the mind of a scholar, and the hide of a rhinoceros. Speaking of the toughness that ministry requires, Martin Luther once said, “A preacher must be both soldier and shepherd. He must nourish, defend, and teach; he must have teeth in his mouth and be able to bite and fight.” …read more
In Genesis 26, we read about how God greatly prospered Isaac. But the blessings he experienced were not received without challenges. Genesis 26:15 says that, “…the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. …read more
As a good “pastor” and father, Jacob knew he couldn’t drive his flock and his children just to keep up with the expectations of Esau. He wasn’t going to allow a sense of comparison and competitiveness to dictate the way he discharged his responsibilities as a leader. He then stated that he would have to establish a pace that was best for those under his care. …read more
A few years ago when I was preparing to teach at an overseas ministers’ conference, the host missionary asked if I could teach not only on “How to be a Timothy,” but also along the lines of “How to be a Paul.” He explained that there was a significant rift in his country between spiritual fathers and spiritual sons. …read more
In recent years, we’ve seen vivid examples of secular leaders, high profile sports figures, and even ministers having their world implode because they were leading a secret life (or double life). Such disclosures not only provide fodder for tabloid news, but leave a legacy of shattered trust, and the people close to them reeling in shock, pain, and disillusionment. …read more
I continue to be amazed at the many hats pastors are expected to wear. Overseeing a corporation and a staff requires a pastor to have a certain degree of executive and managerial abilities. Leading a spiritual army calls for a pastor to exhibit the discipline and motivational skills of a military leader. …read more
A “Psychology Today” survey asked, “If you could secretly push a button and thereby eliminate any person with no repercussions to yourself, would you press that button?” 69% of men and 56% of women responding to this poll said yes! I wonder how many pastors would like to have this “button” for just a few minutes? …read more
In biblical times, different rights of individuals were commonly understood and even articulated in Scripture. Rights existed not only for the firstborn and for citizens, but special rights were established for orphans, widows, and even foreigners. The prophets often decried injustice, or the depriving of different rights that resulted in the oppression of certain groups. God’s ideal, though, was that justice reign and for the rights of all people to be respected. …read more
One of the issues that every church staff must address pertains to partnership and teamwork in the pulpit. There are situations where various ministers blend well together and provide well-rounded ministry to the congregation. In other situations, jealousy and competition among staff creates problems in the congregation. …read more
If it weren’t for the devil and the difficult circumstances of life, some Christians wouldn’t even have a prayer life. If there are problems or a crisis in their life, they turn to God. But if everything is going well, they quickly become complacent in their spiritual activities. ..read more
10. I think the Pastor’s home could use two more bathrooms, a swimming pool, and a hot tub. 9. So what if the Pastor’s son put some fish in the baptistery. Kids are kids! Don’t worry about it. 8. I think it’s great how the Pastor’s kids squirm and wiggle during church services. It shows their IQ’s are way above average. I wish all our kids were as active. ..read more
The following is adapted from a list developed by a minister* who would review it whenever he felt vulnerable to sexual temptation. He cited the following as reminders of the negative consequences a wrong moral choice could produce. Grieving the Lord who redeemed me. Dragging His sacred name into the mud. ..read more
The main hindrance to world evangelization has not been for the want of devoted missionaries, nor is it the lack for trained nationals, which was a serious problem for many years. The hour has come when we have an eager army of gospel soldiers ready to launch out in faith and preach the apostolic gospel. And they are doing it! Nor is there any lack of people responding to the message. Any missionary will tell you that almost every place an evangelistic effort is attempted, hundreds and in many cases even thousands will respond. …read more
We recently surveyed a number the pastors that receive our monthly mailings and asked them to provide information about web-sites, e-newsletters, and magazines/journals that they find helpful in their devotions, studies, and sermon preparation. Inclusion on this list does not imply that TCM agrees with or endorses every thought or idea from a particular minister or organization. It simply means that one or more of our pastor-friends has found information they deem helpful through these resources. Each of these Web sites resides on servers not under our control, and may change at any time.…read more
One reason for the decline is much of the “church” has become more concerned with growth in numbers than growth of spiritual maturity. In trying to be politically correct, much of the church has become irrelevant. What causes true growth is a refocusing on Christ as the only way of salvation, loving God, loving others, and remembering we are here to advance the kingdom, not “cleanup” the world. — G.K. …read more
The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back, and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper in the subcutaneous tissues, producing first and oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. …read more
Sometimes people have asked me why Christ died so quickly, in six hours, on the cross, while other victims have agonized on the cross for two and three days-and longer. He was weak and exhausted when He came there. He had been scourged, He was physically depleted. But when Christ died, He died voluntarily. He chose the exact moment when He expired. …read more
Every true minister deeply appreciates the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the whole counsel of God’s Word. But when it comes to ministering to people, does “where they are” influence and affect how we minister to them? What we minister to them? Is our message “one size fits all,” or are there different emphases that are appropriate for different individuals and groups based on where they are with God, their level of maturity, their level of consecration, etc.? …read more
One occupational hazard of ministry is that the work of God can become routine to us. Another sermon, another church member with a problem, another meeting, etc. All of it can accumulate, taking a toll on a pastor, and result in our simply going through the motions of ministry. …read more
NEWS FLASH:
JOHN OUTRUNS PETER IN SPRINT TO THE EMPTY TOMB!
Did you ever notice in John’s Gospel that he made two references to the fact that he outran Peter in getting to the tomb on the morning of the resurrection?
John 20:1-8
1 Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in .6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
Isn’t that amazing! John is writing about the most important event in human historythe resurrection of Jesusand he makes two references to outrunning Peter! John was quite old when he wrote this (it was probably 50 or 60 years after the resurrection), and I’m sure there was a smile on his face when he included this detail. He probably had teased Peter about it over the years… the way competitive guys will sometimes do in a good-natured way.
Not only did he reference himself being faster than Peter, but he also alluded to having better manners and being more cultured than Peter. John mentioned how he respectfully stopped at the entrance of the tomb, but Peter, being more impulsive, just barged right innot observing proper graveside etiquette.
We call John the Apostle of Love, and rightly so.
“It is also said [of John] that during his latter years he was not able to make a long discourse. He was carried to the assembly, and was accustomed to say nothing but this: ‘Little children, love one another.’ At length his disciples asked him why he always dwelt upon the same thing. He replied, ‘Because it is the Lord’s command; and if this is done, it is sufficient.’” (from Barnes’ Notes)
However, John wasn’t always known for being loving and gentle, and his competitiveness wasn’t always good-natured. Consider the following items that John did not include in his Gospel:
John did not include the fact that Jesus gave John and his brother James the nickname, Boanerges, which means “The sons of Thunder.” This term also has the connotation of noise and commotion (Mark 3:17). John much preferred the nickname he apparently gave himself: The disciple whom Jesus loved.
John did not include the fact that right after Jesus had taught the disciples about becoming as little children, John told Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” Jesus had to correct John about not having an attitude of exclusivity or superiority concerning ministry (Mark 9:38-42).
John did not include the fact that the disciples had significant strife and numerous arguments about which of them was the greatest. One of these was sparked when John and James went to Jesus privately and requested the seats of highest honor in His Kingdom (Mark 10:35-45).
John did not include the fact that when a Samaritan village was unwilling to receive Jesus’ ministry, John became angry and asked if Jesus wanted him to command fire to come down from heaven to destroy them? Jesus rebuked him and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:51-56).
Incidentally, three of the four above-mentioned incidents that were less-than-flattering to John are recorded in Mark’s Gospel. Mark is considered to have gotten the information for his Gospel from guess who? You’re right Peter. Scholars widely believe that Mark’s Gospel was heavily influenced by Peter’s teachings.
I’m not saying that Peter and John were in perpetual strife or that they harbored ill-will toward each other. Thank God they were both born-again after Jesus’ resurrection, received the life and the love of God on the inside of them, and grew up spiritually. They learned to walk in love and work together as a team.
In Acts 3:1-11 Peter and John were going up together to the temple to pray… they were together when the lame man was miraculously healed.
In Acts 4 Peter and John were put in prison together, and gave defense before the Sanhedrin (4:13) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.
In Acts 8:14 “…when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them…”
So when did it finally get through to these guys that they had to quit trying to out-do each other, comparing themselves with each other, and competing against one another? A real turning-point seems to have occurred in John 21.
Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, was asked three times by the Lord, “Simon, do you love me?” Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus, and Jesus reiterated the call that was upon His life… “Feed my sheep.”
What happened immediately after this really highlights the problem of comparison and competitiveness that existed among the disciples, and also shows us how much Jesus dislikes it when His servants focus on others instead of obeying what he has called them to do. Jesus went on to say to Peter…
John 21:18-22
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
Putting it very bluntly, Jesus told Peter that it was none of his business what He had called John to do. Jesus knew that if Peter was going to fulfill God’s plan for his life, he had to get his eyes off of others. It was no longer about who was going to be the greatest, or who would receive the most recognition.
When Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep,” it was all about COMPASSION. When Peter said, “Lord, what about this man” It was all about COMPARISON.
Jesus had originally spoken to Peter to help him overcome discouragement, and to clarify and reinforce his call. But he ended up rebuking him about the sin of comparison.
Peter had to learn to take his eyes off of John and off of any other human beings.
Comparison and competition were not going to be allowed any longer.
Comparison is always based on insecurity, and it will only produce pride or inferiority.
Discussing his own growth in his attitudes and perspectives of leadership, John Maxwell said the following:
“I was very position-conscious. I was making sure that I had my title and my position and “my rights.” Let me tell you something: leaders come from all walks of life, and they often lead people without the benefit of a position or a title. They do it by building influence with others. People who are focused on their position are too wrapped up rights and responsibilities to influence anyone.
I was very competitive.
I became very competitive during that whole process, and the reason for that is very simple: I was always trying to beat someone else. People are not apt to follow you if your goal is to defeat them and make a loser out of them. Leaders encourage people and make them feel like winners.” (From an article entitled, “Travel Agent or Tour Guide”)
We must discover…
* Our gifts
* Our calling
* Our assignment
…and operate in them.
Our job is not to ask, “Lord, what about this man?”
Our job is to obey God and to serve him according to how he called, gifted, anointed, and equipped us.
2 Corinthians 10:12-13 (Amplified)
12 Not that we [have the audacity to] venture to class or [even to] compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves! However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.
13 We, on the other hand, will not boast beyond our legitimate province and proper limit, but will keep within the limits [of our commission which] God has allotted us as our measuring line and which reaches and includes even you.
You can’t be someone else you’ve got to be the best you that you can be who God intended for you to be.
You can’t do what someone else can do you’ve got your own calling and your own gifts.
* Moses had a rod.
* Rahab had a scarlet thread.
* Samson had the jawbone of a donkey.
* David had a sling.
* The widow woman had a pot of oil.
* The little boy had a few loaves and a few fishes.
* Dorcas had a needle and thread.
All of these used what they hadeven though it may have seemed small in their own eyesto the glory of God!
Keep in mind that…
* Noah never re-built the walls of Jerusalem.
* Abraham never split the Red Sea.
* Joseph never built an Ark.
* Moses never defeated the Philistines.
* Joshua never pioneered a church.
* David never heard God speak from a burning bush.
* Daniel never multiplied the loaves and the fish.
* Nehemiah never spent the night in the lion’s den.
* Paul never saw the walls of Jericho fall down.
When I consider what is learned from John and Peter, I’m thankful that God allowed the “flavor” of human personality to come through in His inspired Word.
As we see John’s growth in love, we can realize that there’s hope for all of us. If there are parts of us that are prideful and self-seeking, we can grow in love just like John did.
As we observe Peter’s growth in grace, we recognize that even when our human-ness and insecurities seem to get in the way, God is continually grooming us and developing us so that His glory and His Spirit can shine through.
Through this growth, we’ll be able, like John, to look back at our former competitiveness, and smile at ourselves. And like Peter, we’ll quit asking, “What about this man?” and simply stay focused on following the Lord. Instead of feeling threatened by each other, we’ll cheer one another on, realizing that we’re all on the same team. We’ll no longer be trying to out-do each other, but will truly endeavor to help one another.
Let me share these quotes in closing:
“There is a great destructive force that comes upon is when we start comparing ourselves in the flesh with what we could be spiritually. We should never compare what we are with what we could be, because we will always be down on ourselves when we do this. Just look to Jesus and what He is. As long as we look to Jesus we will go toward Him. When we look at our inferiority we will go toward it.”
– Smith Wigglesworth
“Rabbits don’t fly. Eagles don’t swim. Ducks look funny trying to climb. Squirrels don’t have feathers. Stop comparing. There’s plenty of room in the forest.”
– Charles Swindoll
The president of the Special Olympics was giving a talk to a large audience. During the question and answer time that followed, someone asked him to describe the best moment for him as president of that year’s Special Olympics. Without any hesitation he told about the 100-meter run. Six developmentally handicapped kids lined up in a stadium filled with 50,000 people. These kids had prepared all year for this event. They wanted to win. Although they could not run well, they would give it their very best effort. The gun went off and all six began to run. At about the 50-meter mark, one of the six runners fell down, face first on the track. The other five runners took a couple more steps and then stopped. They looked back and saw the fallen runner. Then, to the surprise of the crowd, they all went back, helped the fallen runner to his feet, joined hands, and continued the race–all of them crossing the finish line at the same moment. Each one received a gold medal. Our role as members of Jesus’ church is helping those who fall to get back up. The church is not the place for competition; we must serve together in unity. What Jesus wanted most of all for the church was that we would be one (John 17:23).
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (New Living Translation)
5 Who is Apollos, and who is Paul, that we should be the cause of such quarrels? Why, we’re only servants. Through us God caused you to believe. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. 7 The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one who makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. 9 We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God’s field, God’s building–not ours.
Leading When the Results Aren’t What You’d Like
Oscar Wilde, the noted Irish playwright, once said: “The play was a great success, but the audience was a disaster.” Have you ever felt that way? You preached what you believed to be a great message, but the response wasn’t what you expected? You put together a great program, but people just didn’t get behind it?
If you are like most leaders, you tend to judge yourself very hard, and you are inclined to take it quite personally when things don’t go well. For example, if someone leaves your church, you assume it’s a failure on your part. If someone doesn’t receive the help you offer, certainly you are to blame. If your church is not overflowing with people, it’s obviously your fault These types of self-imposed expectations and assumptions can create enormous frustrations in the life of a pastor, especially when the results we all desire are contingent not just on our efforts, but also on the response of those to whom we minister.
Did Jesus ever deal with fickle people? You bet He did! Was He able to super-impose the results He desired contrary to their own will? No! Jesus addressed this issue when He said: “How shall I describe this generation? These people are like a group of children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, ‘We played wedding songs, and you weren’t happy, so we played funeral songs, but you weren’t sad.’ For John the Baptist didn’t drink wine and he often fasted, and you say, ‘He’s demon possessed.’ And I, the Son of Man, feast and drink, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of the worst sort of sinners!’ (Matthew 11:16-19, NLT).
Jesus pointed out that some people hadn’t responded positively to Him or to John the Baptist, even though they took very different approaches. In essence, Jesus was saying the same thing that Oscar Wilde did – “The play was a great success, but the audience was a disaster.”
One reason that pastors get frustrated is because in America, success is very often evaluated by the three B’s – bodies, buildings, and bucks. Keep in mind, though, that in heaven, success is evaluated by obedience. We have the responsibility to lead with diligence, to serve with commitment, and to minister with excellence whether people respond the way we want them to or not. Certainly we rejoice when we get the results we desire, but we must be faithful even when outcomes don’t measure up to our expectations, or are slower in coming than we’d like.
I appreciate what one pastor shared about his frustrations. “During one service I was complaining to the Lord about the lack of attendance: ‘Lord, attendance is just not what I’d like it to be.’ This was the Lord’s response: ‘My son, attendance is not what I’d like it to be in heaven.’ That was the last time I complained to the Lord about lack of attendance.”
I’m not writing this to discourage you from setting goals or striving for growth, but I do want to make sure that you’re enjoying your journey, not just striving for a destination! Make sure you stop and smell the roses on your journey through life. Keep in mind that the weight of the world is not supposed to be on your shoulders; you can’t accomplish anything without God’s grace (1 Corinthians 15:10) or without the cooperation and mutual faith of others (Romans 1:11-12)!
How Leaders Listen
By Tony Cooke
With so much busy-ness and so many distractions in life, good listening typically doesn’t happen by accident; it takes a decision, diligence, and discipline. Being a good listener is not necessarily a trait that comes naturally to us. Oswald Sanders noted that, “Too many strong personalities are compulsive talkers.” Many philosophers and sages down through the centuries have made the simple observation that God gave us one mouth and two ears. Is there a lesson in that?
Effective listening is a powerful and often overlooked tool in our personal growth and professional development, and is necessary if we are to provide quality ministry to others. There are three areas where we should seek to be proficient in our listening:
Devotional Listening Facilitates Personal Enrichment
Relational Listening Helps Us Connect With Others
Navigational Listening Produces Effective Leadership
Devotional listening is found in young Samuel’s statement, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10, Amp). As Isaiah acknowledged that the Lord had given him “the tongue of the learned,” he also stated, “he awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (Isaiah 50:4). If we want to speak wise things, we need to prepare by listening and observing well.
We all know the importance of the Bible, but hearing from God is more than an intellectual accumulation of scriptural facts. The Author of the Book, the Holy Spirit, desires to take those Bible truths and work them into the very core of our being. This involves more than rote memorization; it involves a meaningful relationship.
A.W. Tozer said, “Retire from the world each day to some private spot. Stay in the secret place till the surrounding noises begin to fade out of your heart and a sense of God’s presence envelops you. Deliberately tune out the unpleasant sounds and come out of your closet determined not to hear them. Listen for the inward voice till you learn to recognize it.” Francois Fenelon said, “…it is essential that we acquire the habit of hearkening to His voice… and listening so as to lose nothing of what He says to us.”
Relational listening communicates value, and is a vital component in building strong and meaningful relationships with others. One individual said, “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” Another said, “The first duty of love is to listen.”
A would-be politician approached Justice Oliver Wendell Homes for advice on how to get elected. Holmes replied: “To be able to listen to others in a sympathetic and understanding manner, is perhaps the most effective mechanism in the world for getting along with people, and tying up their friendship for good.”
The opposite of this would be true alsoif we want to repel and alienate others, be indifferent and uninterested in their lives and what they have to say. This is why Dale Carnegie said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years of trying to get other people interested in you.”
Navigational listening enables a leader to gather essential information to make informed and accurate decisions. It is said that General Dwight Eisenhower would not make a tactical decision until he found someone who strongly opposed it, and then he heard them out. He wanted to see any weaknesses before proceeding.
Bill Gates, founder and CEO of Microsoft, commented, “Sometimes I think my most important job as CEO is to listen for bad news. If you don’t act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention. And that’s the beginning of the end.” Of course, we need to have discretion and discernment about what information we receive and what information we reject. As one individual remarked, “The two quick ways to disaster are to take nobody’s advice and to take everybody’s advice.”
With so much busy-ness and so many distractions in life, good listening typically doesn’t happen by accident; it takes a decision, diligence, and discipline. Being a good listener is not necessarily a trait that comes naturally to us. Oswald Sanders noted that, “Too many strong personalities are compulsive talkers.” Many philosophers and sages down through the centuries have made the simple observation that God gave us one mouth and two ears. Is there a lesson in that? …read more
What Kind of Leader Are You?
By Tony Cooke
(This article was written in 1988, but we thought it was still relevant and worth presenting here.)
The Bible has much to say about good and bad leadership. It is unfortunately true that both secular and religious history have demonstrated repeatedly thatif allowed to power can have a very corrupting influence upon an individual. It has been said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
It has been apparent in recent years that God has endeavored to restore pastoral leadership to the Body of Christ. However, it must be remembered that even the principles of God implemented and conducted under the dominion of the flesh with wrong motives and attitudes, can result in chaos and destruction. Therefore, it is important that our emphasis be on the quality of leadership we provide and the spirit in which we lead, not just the authority we have and the structure from which we rule. Those who fail to lead in the right spirit often resort to using (or, I should say, abusing) their authority in an attempt to put down the dissatisfaction that is at least partially created by their own improper leadership. I am not trying to undermine the importance of appropriate structure; however, I believe it is more important to have the right kind of spirit, than it is to have the right kinds of structure.
As leaders, I feel that we must be aware of and guard our hearts against the corrupting influence of power. We must challenge ourselves and determine if we are actually providing spiritual substance which prompts and stimulates a positive response and heartfelt submission, or are we simply demanding that people bow down beneath a legalistic structure? Are we really providing for people, or are we simply demanding of them? Are we investing good things into people’s lives, or are we merely expecting an unmerited response from them? If our emphasis is merely on the exercising of authority, and we neglect to provide appropriate leadership, then we are missing the mark regardless of how technically correct we are in our theories and structures. We must also maintain the awareness that God did not place us here to build our own kingdoms and our own empires. We are here to build God’s Kingdom and to build the character and the nature of God into the lives of others. There are danger signs we need to be aware of, which we might call symptoms of perverted leadership:
1. The Manipulation and Intimidation of People.
This can be spiritual, emotional, financial, and in extreme cases, even sexual in nature. This occurs when people are given the impression that their leader is their only link to God, their mediator, and the source of their spiritual life. True leaders, however, cultivate a dependency on Jesus and the Word of God in the lives of their people, not dependency on themselves. Ungodly leaders, on the other hand, are very quick to pronounce judgment, even death sentences in some cases, on people who do not come into immediate compliance and absolute submission. In these cases, anyone who does not unquestionably yield to them is labeled, “full of rebellion,” “a snake,” “a wolf,” or “chaff.”
2. Unreasonable Demands Are Placed Upon People.
People are sometimes pushed beyond reasonable limits to “put God first by putting the church first.” Because of this people have often grossly neglected their families, thinking they were pleasing God. “Give until it hurts” is the motto of some leaders, and hurt is exactly what their ministries produce. In the wake of these ministries, you will find many hurting and wounded people.
3. Seeing Oneself as Superior to the People.
Because of this superiority complex, some feel they are above criticism and reproach. They are quick to jump behind the defense of “Touch not God’s anointed,” when what they actually need to do is face up to justifiable criticism and quit giving legitimate grounds for people to question their integrity. Through their improper leadership, some leaders are actually promoting and fueling the complaints that, by their very authority, they are trying to suppress. Certain leaders feel they should never be questioned: “Don’t question anything I say or do. What I say and do is right because I am God’s man!” Such a presumptuous sense of infallibility is a sure indicator that destruction is near (Prov. 16:18)! These leaders demand absolute and exclusive reign over the flock: “Don’t listen to anyone but me! I have all you need. My revelation is superior to everyone else’s anyway.”
4. Delusions of Grandeur.
These people are consumed with their own importance, seeing themselves as the axis around which the eternal plan of God revolves, and as God’s chief instrument for bringing salvation and revelation to the world. Because of their perceived status, they will not submit or be accountable to anyone. They constantly appeal to divine authority, saying, “The Lord told me…” to get their way even to justify unethical, immoral, or illegal conduct.
As a word of caution, I should add that there is certainly a bona fide exercising of authority and there are times when leaders need to take strong stands and deal firmly with certain situations; this does not make a leader a dictator or a tyrant. We must judge ourselves based on the overall fruit of what is being produced in the lives of those whom God has given us the privilege of serving. It is God’s intention that our leadership bring out the best in people, not the worst.
Feedback on Indulgences Article
Several people responded to the article about Indulgences. Here’s what they said:
“What a blessing to read your newsletter! I had been wrestling with some information I had received concerning issues that you spoke about in your letter. We are seeing many strange things in regard to asking for money. I am so thankful that you are addressing these things although I know it is not popular with many fundraisers. I want to be a seeker of the truth. Thank you for reassuring me of what I believed in my heart …that salvation and healing are not for sale.”
– A Believer
“Thank you for having the guts to address this subject and to put it into proper perspective. It is so very easy for ministers to get caught up in manipulating people to give in order to sustain their vision. We are facing some financial hurdles ourselves, and with all the current hype regarding giving, I even found myself thinking of ways to implement these things. I learned a truth, if you are really trusting God as your source, you won’t pressure or manipulate people to give. Just present the opportunity.”
– A Pastor
“I just read your newsletter yesterday and I was so thrilled to hear your perspective on the “use of relics” as it were. I realize that it takes money to run a ministry (as a small church pastor that is always in front of me) but a lot of times it comes across that people are pulled upon so heavily, and then their support of the local church diminishes. Again thank you for letting me know that I’m not clear off in left field for feeling this way.”
– A Pastor
“You did a great job in pointing out some of the ridiculous stuff that is taking place today while explaining the need to teach sound biblical principles of giving. You might want to add that pastors and ministers that have pure and right hearts and are in genuine relationships with their people need to continually speak to their people about the right way to give. The sheep really do hear their voice and pick up on their hearts. My observation is that there are a lot of preachers that quite honestly I wish would hush, and there are thousands more that need to speak up!”
– A Pastor
“The article on “indulgences” brings a very balanced approach to the subject. It’s too bad that folks who become desperate financially, often through poor stewardship, are duped into these kinds of schemes hoping for their miracle.”
– A Pastor
“I loved your article on ‘Indulgences.’ I made up my mind a good while ago I was done listening to people with such thinking. When a person gets free in Jesus and moves with the ‘right’ stuff, amazingly, God just blesses. There are many honest hearts out there who desire such truth.”
– A Pastor
“This is an excellent and necessary article. I have also seen a few local pastors get the idea that this is how they should operate as well, by gimmicks, etc. It is embarrassing how gullible Christians are, who are supposed to have the Spirit of truth in them! This a balanced treatment of this subject, yet it has some teeth to it and then gives ample scriptural instruction.”
– A Pastor
“I think you are right on track. I believe that many who do this are not evil or necessarily motivated by greed, but sometimes are just victims of extreme and theologically warped teachings. It would also be good to hear examples of how one could communicate that God will respond to obedient giving by prospering, healing, blessing etc… without crossing the line. This would sharpen our focus, and help us to navigate an admittedly difficult channel.”
– A Pastor
