A brief History of Inductive Bible Study

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 

Inductive Bible Study System 

I was teaching at a conference this last weekend and it hit me, I have been doing this for quite a while, since I was in High School! I am looking back at doing Inductive Bible Study seminars, research and teaching for more than 30 years now! Wow!  

So, now you can have our basic seminar, and there is more in my Book: 

http://www.intothyword.org/pages.asp?pageid=56846(I need the $) 

The link at the bottom is the classic curriculum I developed in…wow 1978…to show how to better understand and study the Bible! Because, the obedience and faith is a trust relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we learn and grow from our efforts of getting into the Bible, seeking God’s counsel and applying His true-Truth and precepts to our lives and churches. And to do this we have to get into the Bible and to get into the Bible we have to know how to pull from it and not read into it. And for 30 years this also has been used to train tens of thousands of pastors on how to teach the Bible, prepare basic sermons and for them to know, grow and lead others to God’s rich pastures in the Word. 

For me, this started back in 1978 (I was 15), as a request to get my act together and do something important, from my uncle Francis Schaeffer. He told me, “…the most important thing you could ever possibly do it to teach people how to study the Bible, so they will know God’s true Truth.” “Why” I said, he replied, “because more people even pastors have no idea how to read a book let alone the Bible that is why there is so much bad teaching and apathy out there, so you must show them?” But I do not know how I said…Schaeffer replied, “find out…” Thus, I undertook this quest to examine and research the top Bible teachers and methods and see what they do, how they work, what does and what does not work. And with Schaeffer’s guidance this was not hard to do. I also examined the Scriptures and put this into practice and come up with the best honest technique to know and teach the Bible.  

When I developed our system, I was not aware of anyone else doing it. I just wanted a way to better read, understand and teach the Bible. I was dyslexic and had an over active mind and wanted more as well as ease of use and there just was nothing out there for me in the late 70’s that I could find. All I had was good mentors and Andrew Murray’s book, With Christ in the School of Prayer.  So I developed my own system seeking deeper spiritual intimacy with Christ. Being from a small town, Camel, Ca, and only one small Christian bookstore and being a part of a liberal Episcopal church, resources were rare. I was not even aware of others doing this like IVP until I was in college 1981, I went on staff with Camus Crusade in 83-86.  

I used the term “Inductive” because deductive meant to lead or read in and inductive meant to take out, from the sciences where I was taking postgraduate classes in Physics at the “Naval Post Graduate School” (I was one of those weird prodigy types). After I did my own basic Questions, Schaeffer then put me in touch with Ray Stedman, Chuck Miller and Robert Boyd Munger who were schooled by and served with IVP. These men further discipled me in this, and I sought to improve upon it. Who were influenced personally by Howard Tillman Kuist and Charles T. Haley Professors of Biblical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and of course Jane Hollingsworth and Barbara Boyd, in the 40’s and 50’s at IVP. From what I heard from Munger and Miller, they took the works done by Wilbert Webster White in 1899 “knowledge of the Bible” and they developed a curriculum they developed for YMCA too, and being very active with the Y in my youth I was exposed to it there too. These men and women enhanced the Inductive bible study system, all I have done was refine it for different platforms and combined some exegetical tools to it for greater synergy. I also learned this from many others and have been developing and teaching and refining it for Junior Higher’s to pastors…  

…And it is nothing new, I found out Plato used these same key inductive questions to examine life, religion and philosophy, and Francis Beacon may have coined the term “Inductive” Logic, And so it goes, since the Disco age to today, still loving it!  

I had a pastor come up to be yesterday at that conference and insist that Kay Author came up with this and it is flawed and does not teach anything and only pools ignorance. Well, I know Kay, and she is a great person, but no, she did not come up with it, nor did I. I explained that The Inductive Bible Study method is not new, it has its roots in science and the logic of induction as well as the Reformation and even predates the New Testament. It is meant to examine the facts by observation, then interpretation, retesting for accuracy and then an application.  

It is designed to get real effectual information from reality and real truth and not lead in a person’s flawed rationale. Aristotle came up with this scientific method to show real philosophy and science and it was old when he came up with his “rules for the logical reasoning”. Others like Galileo, who was a devout believer, applied it to his Bible reading, as he said that faith and reason go together and back each other up, and then used it for astronomy. Augustine also said that, and used this approach to his studies. And Isaac Newton  in his “Rules of Reasoning” also used this method and he too was a devote Believer and went to test it out on the Bible first and foremost. Roger Bacon, around 1256, of a devout Franciscan Order came up with a cycle of observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and verification. He conducted his experiments in precise detail, examining the Bible and then nature and order with the ideas of finding fact not inserting flaws of reasoning into science or into faith. And many others like René Descartes used this and of course John Calvin in his Bible discovery phase, 1536–1538, used these insights and rules of inductive reasoning to outline out the true doctrines of the faith and continue the Reformation.  

This begs the question, why are we as a Christian community not thinking hard about God’s Word as they of old? Why do we deny reading “from” the Bible and insist reading “into” the Bible? Instead of gleaning and applying what God has to say, we read in what we want it to say! We have more tools and reason, so let’s get busy and dig into God’s Most precious pasture land, His Word the Bible!  BTW, I Googled that pastor and he is, you guessed it, liberal, a low view of the Bible and his church has no Bible studies or outreach and looks dead as a doornail…go figure..I guess he had a good excuse, in his mind, to not to know the Word and do as we are called… well a bad excuse in reality!  

http://files.inspyred.com/webfiles/70030/Essential%20Inductive%20Questions.pdf 

http://70030.netministry.com/pages.asp?pageid=53489 

http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=66163&columnid=3801 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0595148735?tag=intothywordmi-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0595148735&adid=1SWF32B5A4SPVCY3XH45&

http://70030.netministry.com/articles_view.asp?articleid=66163&columnid=3801

 

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Got Discipline?

Posted on December 22, 2010 by

Jesus Helps in our Struggle of Faith!  

Psalm 25; Hebrews 12:4-13 

Here are a couple of questions to ponder upon and go to our Lord with in your quite time: Why do many Christians fear or avoid discipline? How would you describe discipline in its ability to show what God is doing and what He can do in your life? 

To illustrate this point, there is a popular mindset floating around in the church today, mostly among the young people, that all we have to do to live out the Christian life and faith is receive Christ and we then have all that we need. There is no need to be disciplined or be discipled because the complete Christian life abides in “me.” Thus, once someone accepts Christ as Savior, his or her thinking is that I have all the resources to live out the Christian life. While, others feel it this growth in faith and the role of discipline is an unobtainable goal to walk the Christian life, so why bother.  

Both views believe that there is no real need to be in a Bible study or read the Word or have devotions or read good Christian literature, or have a mentor or be a mentor because I have nothing lacking and I do not need anyone to point out what I may be deficient in, for I am self-sufficient. Christ dwells in me and is able to pull anything out He needs from me from within me. If you think I am out to lunch on this, just count how many people are in Bible studies or some kind of discipleship group here in this church verses the number who come for worship services?  

Now, if this doesn’t cause you to bite your tongue or shutter, something may be wrong with you too.

Yes, we all need to be saved by “Faith Alone,” but our faith does not stand alone.

To grow in Christ, we need His Word, and we need to learn, just as this passage in Hebrews points out. We have to realize that it is indeed our responsibility to receive our faith and then maintain and grow our faith to live an effective, triumphant Christian life. And yes, we are given all we need, but we have to learn, know, and then apply it into our lives. If we do not, we will falter greatly in life and in the faith. Do not take my word for it; read Psalm 25 again and this passage in Hebrews, or any of the Gospels and Epistles!  

Q: What are some distractions and bad thinking that can get in your way of growing in Christ?

Let me tell you about what was going on when this Epistle to the Hebrews was written. Remember, it was a letter to a church in turmoil, like many of us here today! Many wealthy Romans had illegitimate children for whom they were obligated to provide, for they were citizens too. However, they rarely trained, schooled, or disciplined them. Thus, these children grew up to be hoodlums, troublemakers, and the dregs of society. They had some wealth, power, and position, but carelessness, a lack of character, and apathy or lawlessness created extreme dysfunction and this greatly contributed to the breakdown of the Roman Empire civilization, just as it is doing today with our young people who lack love, hope, parental involvement, or discipline. In contrast, the Roman legitimate sons received the privilege of the finest schools and discipline, and carried the family name and received most of the inheritance. Keep in mind when we are in Christ, we are God’s legitimate children; He loves us and wants us to receive His best and carry His name (1 John 4; 5:2)!  

Discipline is our catalog or database for what God is doing and what He can do in our lives. It is a vehicle to the quality and result of our spiritual formation. This is not about being punished for being disobedient; rather, it is a call to be trained like an athlete being made ready for the game or as a child receiving nurture and correction to be a better person and to prepare for adulthood as a person and Christian. We can’t enter the race of life and faith without preparation through diligence, obedience, and submission. This is something we are to embrace and love, not fear or try to get out of. Our goal is to know and then serve Christ; it takes honest, hard work. Remember that God nurtures and encourages us and we should also welcome His discipline, for that helps us too. Just as a loving parent corrects a child and helps him or her on the path for betterment and future, so God does with us. Even though we do not like the discipline, it is best for us. Therefore, we have no reason to feel discouraged; rather, we can endure for His glory. So get a grip on life and faith—with your main grip on Christ as Lord. He will help you go in the right way—His way—and not flounder.  

Q: What does it mean to you that you are not alone in this journey of faith and life? 

Let look at the Hebrews passage with Bibles open,  

Look at this key word, Your struggle against sin. This is a call not to compromise God’s truths for our convenience or pleasure. We have to be prepared for what is ahead in life, just like preparing for an athletic event. In context, it is a call to be prepared for things to worsen and for more persecution. This was an athletic term referring to boxing and the strain on the body; here, it is referring to martyrdom. Keep in mind at this time, none of these original hearers had experienced this yet. The words were meant to convey, you think times are tough now? You have no idea of what is ahead, what others have faced, or what our Lord faced for you. So you better get ready so you can endure it (Mark 8:34-38; Heb. 10:32-34; 11:35-38).  

Now we have a quote from Proverbs 3:11-12—a call to accept discipline and repent of sins. God does not intend to hurt. He wants to mold and shape us so we can prosper for the faith no matter what life throws at us. This is God’s concern and love for us. An uncaring or vengeful God could care less (Deut. 8:5; Psalm 94:12; Prov. 3:11-18).  

Do you know this, you are God’s, you belong to Him! As sons. We are in God’s care no matter what happens. His discipline is the proof of His love. It is God’s intent, plan, and purpose to lead us further in Him to learn faith and maturity. If necessary, He will use suffering to do so, which is valuable for our benefit. Thus, since Christ and godly others have suffered to gain perfection of their spiritual formation, we should not think of ourselves better or more deserving not to suffer. This also goes to our attitude to put the work in for our spiritual growth.  

So as His son He rightly and righteously corrects us and we should expect and accept this! The Lord disciplines/chastening. Referring to the training of a child to learn to correct faults so to develop well for their future benefit and the benefit of society. As we grow in Christ, we prosper in the faith and handle life better; others are positively affected and God is glorified. Thus, when we go through tough times, we have the opportunity to see how God’s Son suffered for us. His example of fortitude will enable us to learn and grow and produce a deeper relationship with God, yielding more faith and fruit (Psalm 119:67-71).  

Now we are at this word that no one likes: Discipline. This means moral instruction, not corporal punishment. Here, it means education and the learning we gain by corrective and instructive training to know and grow. This comes from Christ and from what we have before us, as we partake of His Word so we can contextualize it to our lives to grow and mature. God’s discipline is always temporary to get us lined up to what is important. If he did not do this, we would certainly fall into a worse situation. God’s good discipline is always done in love; to those who are wicked and refuse to repent, the discipline is severe and eternal.  

So, if we do not look to Christ, if we are not disciplined at least to some faithful extent what are we: we are Illegitimate/bastard. Ouch! This meant out of wedlock and an extreme insult, hence the KJV rendering. When we ignore God, we insult Him. How would God give us our inheritance and blessing when it should go to the legitimate one, the one who is grateful and honors his Father (Gal. 4:1-2).  

Now we have a precious Name of God here to give us comfort after that ouch, Father/Lord of our spirits. This is a name of God that means He is our Father, who is perfect in contrast to earthly fathers who are to follow this role but who are not perfect. This is a theme of nurture, care, instruction, and correction in love and care. This is also a call to respect God and follow Him as we are to do with our earthly Father; what is more important than this for our Heavenly Lord Father (Ex. 4:22; 1 Pet. 1:15-16)?  

So here we have it, our God disciplines. God’s desire is to make us holy and righteous. His wisdom and help are accessible and available to us; we have only to reach out for it. He gives, but it is up to us to put it in our lives and work it out (Phil 2:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). For a….. Harvest of righteousness. So that Christ’s holiness is our example and at our hand, BUT, yet- This involves our efforts to put it to use.  

Now we have one of Paul’s famous athletic terms, some evidence that if he did not write this; his fingerprints and DNA are all over it…. Trained. Meaning physical strength training, referring to our spiritual growth. These efforts that are required to do anything grand or great, such as a high level athlete, also apply to pursuing the holiness of God. Thus, our relationship with Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to enter. Our continual discipleship and mentorship as well as persistent spiritual growth will give us the endurance and strength to maintain, finish, and even win the race of life. Faith comes by the efforts we put in and the hurdles we leap over that build us up even stronger and better. Any athletic injury may sideline a sportsman, but for a Christian, it will propel us even farther and faster. The key is our ability to heal, overcome our hurts and setbacks, leap over our obstacles, and avoid the pitfalls that may be ahead such as sin and bad choices.  

And another Paul print … Feeble/drooping arms and weak knees. This is a warning about slacking off and not putting in the effort to do what God has called or what is right. This is apathy and laziness and God hates this attitude of I don’t care! It shows that we care nothing about others, ministry, spiritual growth, or what God wants of us. It is the misconception or misapplication of the magnitude of His incredible gifts and His grace to us. And, as a result, we become lukewarm, disinterested, and non-committal! This is not about rest and vacations or taking a break. This is a life of purposeless and laziness that leads to rebellion and produces no faith, fruit, or righteousness (Isa. 13:7; 35:3-4; Jer. 47:3; 50:43; Ezek. 7: 17; 21:7; Hosea 13:6; Zeph. 3:16; Matt. 13:25-26; Rom. 13; Eph. 1:13-14; Heb. 3:13; James 5:11-20; 1 John 4: 7-8; Rev. 3:1-6; 14-18).  

And here is another, · Level paths for your feet. Meaning to pursue righteousness with upright character and conduct. This is a call to be educated and put into practice what you learn from putting in the time to study and grow to make this so. This also means to choose the best path like a runner looking for the best path; this was very important before good shoes were invented. Train as a good athlete does; if you do not, you are foolish and do not care about God’s call and precepts (Prov. 4:25-27)!  

So what does this come down to my daily grind?  

It is natural for us, as human beings, to cringe at discipline, because of our sinful nature. Obedience and follow-through attack our self-importance and will. We tend to object to being contorted into an image we may perceive as too hard or might require too much time and effort. It is far easier to do what we want, when we want—to be lazy and even apathetic as we see others do it and get away with it. Yet, discipline is the tool that helps us become better. It requires effort and diligence, so the work we put in is worth what we gain, and what we build is beneficial to us and those around us. Not putting in the effort is like being on a sports team, receiving the jersey for our sport and then thinking this is all we need to compete. We are on the team; we have the letterman jacket, so we must be fit and ready and thus need no further activity or action. This should sound ridiculous, yet many Christians see their faith as such. Yes, it is natural to put forth no effort, yet it is sinful.  

Q: How can you better welcome both God’s nurture and discipline? What do you need to do better in regard to your honest, hard work of faith and discipline? 

Discipline is the effort and training we do with what Christ gives us. It is Him in action in our lives. So, allow Him to exercise His fullness for your fullness in Him. This is the faith on our part needed to be self-disciplined with spiritual fitness that builds us and His Kingdom up and gives Christ the Glory!  

Let us pray!  

Small Group Discussion Questions:  

  1. 1.    Why is discipline seen as a negative or as punishment for being disobedient? How have you seen it and why?
  1. 2.    Why do we need nurture and correction to be better Christian persons? Why would some people say no to this?
  1. 3.    God nurtures and encourages us. So, how and why should we also welcome His discipline? How can you live in response with gratitude?
  1. 4.    What are some distractions and bad thinking that can get in your way of growing in Christ?
  1. 5.    What happens when we think we deserve everything now and do not need to work for it, desiring immediate gratification in life and in faith?

 

  1. 6.    Why would someone who claims to be a Christian feel that they would not need to be discipled? Or feel they do not have the time? Why would you say to someone who thinks it is an unobtainable goal to walk the Christian life, so why bother?

 

  1. 7.    Why can’t we endure the race of life and faith without putting in the necessary diligence, obedience, and submission? Why would some Christians think otherwise?

 

  1. 8.    Are you able to throw off whatever hinders and slows you down? If not, what do you need to do to remove your sins so you can run and even win the race of life and faith?

 

  1. 9.    How can you better welcome both God’s nurture and discipline? What do you need to do better in regard to your honest, hard work of faith and discipline?

 © 2008 R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.org/

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Biblical Principles of God’s Call to Manage His Church

Posted on December 5, 2010 by

Used at church leadership retreats and church consulting… 

(Opening session) 

My goal is to lay forth to you suggestions from God’s Word and from my own experience on how to effectively run a church. These are based on many years of research, my PhD dissertation of observing the top 1000+ churches in the world, my research at the Fuller Institute and then the Schaeffer Institute and further study and as well as personal church growth consulting and pastoral experience…and so on and so on…. My point is, even though I come as a humble learner, I do know what I am talking about here….and most people in this felid do not! I seek to follow Christ in this, not pride, not trends, not look at me, rather look to what Christ calls us to do and be and let’s do that, after all it is His Church we are the stewards and caretakers of it!!!  

I will give a general overview will be given, followed by a step-by-step plan on how to effectively organize this church________ for His glory. Although church growth is the goal, this briefing is not based on traditional church growth jargon, even though some of the principles are applied. After years of teaching traditional church growth methodologies, the Word brought me to my senses and face-to-face with what is revealed there. The Scriptural precepts, what works, and how to best manage your church according to His Word will be the basis of this Primer, not the following of the latest trends!

 A very brief overview:  What the Healthy Church Looks Like 

In the Twelve Characteristics of a Healthy Church article (www.churchleadership.org/) you have, I lay out from God’s Word what He requires, and, in addition, observations of healthy churches. These questions asked are the same as McGavran first did, yes I was one of his mentees but I have rejected most of his theory’s as rubbish as we seek now the emphasis on Scripture and not experience has led to very different conclusions. Each of these distinctions is extremely important. However, they have been placed in a hierarchal arrangement, that is, the first one is more important than the second, etc. In addition, the first one begets the second, which begets the third, and so forth. Therefore, each one, when practiced, is dependent on the characteristic that preceded it so it can birth the one that follows. However, if any one of them is omitted, your church will not function as God intended it to. 

  • First, is the clear uncompromising teaching of God’s Word. Psalm 119:9-12
  • Second, is impacting worship. Psalm 138:1-4
  • Third, is passion for the Lord. Phil. 3:7-11
  • Fourth is heartfelt prayer. John 15:4-5
  • Fifth is Making Disciples. Matthew 28:18-20
  • Sixth is penetrating love and care. Mark 12:28-31
  • Seventh is leadership development. Ephesians 4:11-13
  • Eighth is outreach and missions. Psalm 90:1-2
  • Ninth is powered vision. Hebrews 11:1-2
  • Tenth is effective stewardship. Proverbs 3:9-10
  • Eleventh is appropriate programming. Philippians 3:12-14
  • Twelfth is replication. Acts 1:8

 These twelve characteristics converge synergistically to form the church as our Lord called it, to lead His people to Him in worship, and to glorify Christ! Each one of these builds upon the other, each fueling the other, all working together to be the church. This is where our real needs are met and where our gifts are used, because the teaching, worship, and prayer all empower people, through the work of the Holy Spirit and to His glory, to worship Him. The church is allowed to become what it was meant to be from the beginning, forbidding both prejudice and fears to get in the way. This will be a powerful force for His kingdom.  

The church does not exist in and for itself. It is the vehicle to lead and manage the people of God through discipleship, evangelism, missions, spiritual growth, and programs all centered to His glory and worship.

The quintessential reason for the church to exist is to worship God, not only in the worship service, but also as a lifestyle.

The church is to provide the means to grow people in His direction for that worship. Thus, all we do, all we are, must point to the goal of moving people toward worship. However, more often than not, we are so caught up in our programs we forget why the programs are there. If you are the senior pastor, the elder, or the youth pastor, you must ask yourself, “Where am l, and where is the ministry? Is it toward worship, or is it to function in and of itself? 

(Brake into groups each takes a passage, read and pray, discus and then do Q&A,  

Ask: what does Jesus want me to do with this precept for the church He has given me to shepherd?) 

Passages to consider and pray over before you venture into church management: Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:4-5; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 10: 31- 11:1; 12; Galatians 6:1-10; Mark 1:35 – 2:12; James 5:13-16; 1 Peter 3:15 

If you still take seriously the classic church growth principles, the bottom line question you must ask yourself is this, Is the Christian movement’s expansion a result of the work of the Holy Spirit in new converts, or is it just taking sheep from others? And what of your church? Are its beliefs and actions based on the Word or just on research and presumptions? Be honest! This is between you and God!  

Basic Action Plans to Lead and Manage your Church 

(second session) 

Q: What did you learn from your passage? do Q&A,  

What does Jesus want me to do with this precept for the church He has given me to shepherd? 

Essential Principles and Skills for Effective Leadership and Management In Your Church 

Scriptural Precepts: Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:4-5; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 10: 31- 11:1; 12; Galatians 6:1-10; Mark 1:35 – 2:12; James 5:13-16; I Peter 3:15 

Once you gain solid Biblical precepts from the distributed articles and analyses you have received and most importantly from your personal study in God’s Word, then you will have the primary precepts to grow a mature church to glorify our Lord. Once you have these precepts at your core mindset, you can acquire further suggestions on how to go about the daily affairs of the church. 

The Big Picture and Overview: A Basic Church Management Model 

The pastor / church leader wears four hats. Each one of these is essential. If even one is omitted, your church will not grow in maturity, and the people will be left out of their essential needs and call. One person may fulfill all four of these or they can be broken up into teams and/or associate pastoral roles. In any case, at some point any leader or pastor will engage all four. The training, discipling, recognition, and encouraging of the church are all critical roles for the pastor. If the senior pastor feels he does not have the gifts and abilities to equip and train others to do ministry, then he needs to build a team around him that does! If not, the church will fail! Some pastors are great teachers, but cannot do anything else.  

 A pastor cannot be expected to do everything. He is not the sole member of the body of Christ. He is the shepherd for it! A pastor must operate in his gifted area, equip others to compensate in the areas where he is weak, and do his best to still give support to the rest of the church and to the wearers of the four hats! (Romans 7:4-6; 1 Corinthians 10:14-16; 12; Ephesians 4:9-16) 

1. Preacher/ teacher: Proclaiming the Word From the Pulpit and/or Class.        

Pastors have differing gifts and abilities. However, whatever his gifts are, his primary duty is to Biblical teaching. A lot of energy and effort has been put into training preachers in business and counseling, sometimes to the extent of   forgetting the main thing! In recent years, there has been a shift in preaching style from Biblical exegesis to feel good topics. What is popular is not necessary what is best! Never compromise the Word or water it down too much. It needs to be easy to understand, but not compromised! Many churches grow because of the effective and sometimes charismatic personality of the preacher. Make sure growth is a result of the quality of the teaching and not just the charisma of the preacher. Otherwise, the church will be based on a “cult personality” and not on His purpose.  

2. Shepherd / counselor: The care of the people in the church, from counseling to the building of relationships. 

This function has grown in popularity and emphasis over the last twenty years with courses in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling as the focus in most seminaries. This is good. However, it is a secondary duty. If one does not have the gifts, abilities, or time for this function, he should delegate the responsibility to someone who does. This is still a vital role for the church leaders! Many churches lose people because the pastor has poor relational skills. If the pastor is a good teacher but poor in relational skills, then he must find someone else who is gifted in building relations with the congregation.  

3. Leader/ Manager: Leading the people where they need to go; solving problems from personal and relational to care of the building and grounds.  

To manage a church effectively we must seriously take our lead from Scriptural principles and not from popular trends. This has been a primary emphasis over the past twenty years. In fact, it has been over emphasized as the quintessential aspect of being a pastor. This is not so! Necessary? Yes, but not by strong willed personalities or personal agendas over and against the Word. This role perhaps takes most of the pastor’s time, for which many are poorly trained and equipped. Leadership (see article on The Leadership Challenge) is not dependent on a particular personality trait, but on skills that can be learned, even when that spiritual gift or personality is lacking. This aspect can be delegated. Many pastors get their pride hurt and refuse to let go, but no one can do it all. As your church grows, so must the people grow in leadership, so no one person is running the entire show.  

4. Discipler / trainer: the shepherding aspect of the pastor, involving instructions on what a Christian is, how to grow in the faith and how to lead a Christian life in society.  

This is the least focused aspect of the pastor and leader in the church. Yet, this is a most important role! The primary role of the pastor is to train their flock in the basics of the faith and continuing through the deeper waters of the Christian faith. Many pastors do not do this. Perhaps they cannot because either they lack spiritual maturity or they do not think it is their role. In either case, they need to read the Bible. This aspect is not focused on in traditional church growth teaching because it does not bring in the numbers. However, we are called and even commanded to do it (Matt. 28:18-20)! 

A pastor needs to evaluate his own gifts and his abilities as well as the remaining leadership in the church and their abilities. This should be based on the needs of his church according to each of these four roles, even if he is not the one doing it. It is okay to let go of leadership passions and positions to other godly and capable people. One must be aware of his gifts and abilities, and work mostly within them, lest he fail (see How to Determine your Spiritual Gifts)! Then build the church by allowing each person to function in the gift that he was called and designed for.  

Equipping people for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16) 

          The growth potential of the people in the church will be low when the pastor is the only one who is doing all or most of the ministry. He cannot do ministry to, or on behalf of, the congregation alone. Ministry must be shared through training and encouraging primary leaders, who, in turn, train and encourage secondary leaders, and so forth. 

        The following is a basic sample of how the church leadership can function best. This model can be molded to fit the needs and size of the church. The primary leader disciples the associate leaders who then disciple small groups and/or classes in the congregation. The congregation then shares its knowledge and faith throughout the community. The senior leadership and/or pastor(s) are accountable to the Elders or Board. The Board is made up from people in the congregation who are chosen by election or appointment, depending on the rules of the denomination. The church is never to be run by a dictator, no matter how good and skilled that person may be! Accountability is essential! Training and discipleship are essential! If leaders are just being elected and thrown into the job without knowledge and training, how can they be expected to function? 

         Each Elder and/or leader is in charge of a ministry team, such as Sunday School, Outreach, Prayer, etc. Each has regular meetings with his team. Extra pastors are also in charge of ministry areas with lay accountability and lay elders.  

The Leadership Hats: 

1.   Focus on developing the existing disciples in your church before you go out and make new disciples. The spiritual strength and maturity of the church must be developed first. If not, there will not be the ability or maturity to reach out. At the same time, make sure people are not being turned away or ignored! 

2.  Leadership trains and disciples people. One cannot lead where one has not been, nor can we do the work of God until we are the people of God. Clarify your purpose from Scriptural principles. Determine spiritual gifts and roles. Be ready to interpret changes in your church and society. Equip them for it. 

3.  Management: The church is a living organism, made up with different personality types all incorporating into a group mentality. The church must be adaptive to achieve its purpose within a stated environment. Leaders need to know the culture and the people. Then, they must train and encourage them accordingly.  

4.   Decision-Making Process: Make sure you make healthy decisions based on the Word and character of our Lord and not on personal agendas and political power trips. This is necessary if you are to effectively establish unifying goals, to anticipate and adapt to change, to encourage leadership initiatives, and to ensure that budget allocations are in accord with ministry priorities. 

5.  Communication: Miscommunication is a sad fact of the church. It is part of our nature both not to listen and to place our needs over those of others. Effective means of communication need to be established in order to connect the church’s purpose with the leader’s intentions. There must be specific channels and means to bring information and encouragement to the flock!  

6.  Facility: One of the good things to come out of the church growth movement is the sensitivity to the felt needs of people. However, felt needs are never to supplant genuine spiritual needs, as they so often do! I am sorry to say this, but most people, including Christians, are not mature. That is why the Bible calls us sheep. Sheep are dumb. They will starve between two bales of hay if not led to feed. They will scratch themselves to death and wander off into oblivion. We are the same, so to speak. (Just ask my wife. I, too, cannot take care of myself!) Thus, we need to create an environment as comfortable as possible. If it is too cold or too hot, people will not come. Even when they do come, they will not listen. So, we need to do the best we can with what God gives us to arrange activities and create an atmosphere in which people feel comfortable. Having convenient parking is an example.  

A Pastor needs to sit down with his leadership and go over the above principles, keeping the other articles and Biblical precepts in mind. How can this work and become a reality? The answer to that question is to do it through prayer, through seeking the Word, and through brainstorming options and ideas. Afterwards, ideas can be implemented and necessary changes made. Monitor those changes and be willing to listen to feedback. Make changes and never compromise the integrity of Scripture or the character of our Lord! 

         Remember, as the capacity of the pastor to lead others to do the ministry is increased rather than his doing it all alone, the potential for spiritual and numerical growth will also increase. 

        Now that you have a general overview, get ready to lead your church to be her best for His glory!  

Getting Started:“Seven Keys for Effective Pastoral Leadership.” 

 (Third session) 

           During brainstorming sessions, go over each of these keys. Let others show you how the church is doing, motivational patterns, and where the weak and strong points are. Then, use those as a template to think through and strategize an effective way to manage the church. Later, more specific action plans will be offered.  

Ask: How can I… 

1. Set Goals. Go over the Scriptural precepts and strategize the goals that God has for the church. Keep in mind the principles previously laid out. Go over each one, one by one. Make sure as much time as possible is spent in prayer. Try to have your meetings 1/3 to ½ of the time in prayer! This will allow less time for arguments and circular reasoning, and the meetings might even be shorter! (See the article, Practical Strategies for Prayer.) 

2. Be Focused on God’s precepts, not just on research and trendy ideas. Those ideas change and conflict with each other every few years, while God’s principles remain steadfast and keep working! At the same time, use the resources and ideas as a catalyst for other ideas. Filter out anything that goes against what Jesus would have done! Keep in mind to manage time and resources to maximize results.  

 3.  Have a Vision. Once you see the goal through prayer, Scripture, and the needs of the church, map out the direction in which God is leading. Keep it simple, and keep it focused on Scripture. Then, strategize on how to communicate it to the people. This is called “casting.” Remember, the primary goal is to cultivate faith and envision where the people need to be in the future with their faith, both personally, in the community, and in the world. How do you bring the church deeper into the heart of God to worship and glorify Him? (See the primer Preparing the Pastor and Church Leadership to Grow!) 

 4. Create ownership of the ministry, so that the people in charge as well as in the church can feel a part of the process. They need to be reassured that it is their church too! Be affirming to them, communicating important values, but prepared for some people to resist change. It may take time. Congregational prayer and fasting are essential to grow people in new directions! 

 5. Mobilize the people in the church. Mobilize them by recruiting and evaluating their spiritual gifts. Mentor and equip them.  

 6. Coach them with training and encouragement. The goal is team-building and supervising, not doing it all alone!  

7. Make sure your Decision Making is centered on His Word. Have a plan to evaluate and solve problems. If conflict develops, check the articles on conflict resolution 

Q&A, Pray do contract… 

 Make sure you see the other articles following this primer as they all converge and synergistically combine to help you grow your church to glorify our Lord!  

 Copyright 1988, 1998, 2000 Richard J. Krejcir http://www.churchleadership.org/

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Where are the Nine?

Posted on November 3, 2010 by

A Bible Study in Gratitude

Luke 17: 11-19; 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Ten Healed of Leprosy

As Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem, He taught about faith as a seed that grows when we put in the efforts of cultivation. Even though it begins small, it does not stay small; as it grows, it releases more power for life and living, for both the life of the mundane and the life of the extraordinary. This template is about how faith works, and also how our trust in Christ operates. The things God gives us begin small, and then they grow as do our character, forgiveness, Fruit of the Spirit, and gratitude.

Then, a living demonstration of what Jesus was teaching arrived-ten people with a terrible disease, leprosy, where parts of their body literally would fall off. They came up to Jesus, closer than the law and culture would allow and, in a daring bid, cried out and asked for mercy. They seemed to believe He could help them, or else they just had the habit of asking everyone for help in dramatic fashion. But, the One to whom they came was no ordinary teacher or healer; He was the incarnate God who listens, responds, and gives mercy as He does with all who ask to be people of the faith. Then, Jesus told them to follow the law and go to the priest so they could be examined. In so doing, they showed the authorities that they had been healed, as it was the priests’ duty to examine and declare that someone had been healed and was ready to return to society. Sometime later, one of the ten came back to give thanks-one of ten, ten percent-and he fell face down in extreme penance and gratitude of heart. Jesus asked a rhetorical question: where are the other nine? Why did only one, a foreigner, a Samaritan come back to give God glory? This man brought joy to Christ’s heart and He blessed him and said your faith has made you well (Lev. 13:45-46; 14:1-32).

We see an almost inconceivable response to an incredible act, a fantastic, unattainable, life-changing healing met with resentment or apathy or busyness-or the worst of all, ingratitude. All these people were outcasts; perhaps they approached Jesus with humility, but most did not return it. The ninety percent, the nine out of ten should have shown gratitude but they did not. Gratefulness drove only one to go back and prostrate himself in deep humility, his heartfelt thankfulness turned into worship and praise and a transformed life. For the other nine, ingratitude seemed to be the domineering attitude that just demeaned the wonder of the act and the One who gave such an extraordinarily undeserved gift. The people who were supposed to be faithful, the Jews who were healed, acted contrary to faith and the man who was not of the faith acted with faith. This strikes a piercing blow to us all. Are we grateful to the One who has given us so much? Are we grateful for what we have or are we filled with an attitude of entitlement or apathy or ingratitude (Num. 5:2-4; 2 Kings 5:13-15; 7:3; Matt. 9:22, 27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:31; Mark 5:34; 10:47-48; Luke 16: 24; 18:38-39)?

Where are the nine?

I have studied and pondered this passage for years. In fact, this was the very first Bible passage that I taught over thirty years ago to a youth group. This has perplexed me; why did they not go back? It was not far or out of their way. They did not just get over a cold; they were healed of a stern, life-ending sickness that cut them off from society, from family, from work, from living, yet 90% made the choice-no, we will not give our gratitude. This was a slap in the face of our most Holy God who gives and condescends to give us the mercy we do not deserve. At the same time, He gives us the faith and tools to make life work. It is our duty to receive them and grow and give them back so we can give more. Gratitude works the same; we are given a gift, that of salvation that we do not deserve. So then, how do we live our life in response? Do we make it our duty to give and be appreciative to the One who has given us so much? Or do we recoil in our condition and fears and remain in our pride so we do nothing of Kingdom value?

Here are some plausible reasons I collected over the years…

1. Perhaps one was scared; he was not sure what happened, but knew of Jesus’ popularity and was too bashful to present himself to Him.

2. Perhaps one was offended and saw the journey to the priests and the admission of his disease to be overwhelming and too much to bear. The way of Jesus was too hard to be real.

3. Perhaps one was offended because this was too easy. What about all the gifts to the Temple his family had made, or his fasting and devotion to the rules of the Pharisees? The way of Jesus was too easy to be real.

4. Perhaps another saw this as too little, too late. After all, he prayed fervently about this for years, and his family had rejected him. He was now old and had nowhere to go. His leprosy was his only identity and comfort in life; now he had none.

5. Perhaps another leaper just forgot. He ran back to his family so ecstatically, and in all of the commotion of shocked relatives and following the priestly requirements, he simply forgot.

6. Perhaps one of the lepers was so jaded by years of begging only to be an outcast and receive scraps that his bitterness consumed him, so being thankful was no longer in his mindset or capacity. He felt no one deserved his gratitude, even the One who healed Him.

7. Perhaps one of the lepers was a woman and she rushed back home to her kids like a caged animal released back into the wild. So, she was unable to ever leave them again, even long enough to say thanks to the One who made her reunion possible.

8. Perhaps the eighth one thought that this just happened, that Jesus did not have anything to do with it. He did not believe in miracles anymore, so His healing was just a coincidence.

9. Perhaps the final and ninth leper did not believe he was healed. He looked into a pond and saw his fingers and toes restored, his skin back to its healthy olive color, but he was in shock and did not know what to do. He might have thought this was just a dream, so he did nothing.

These are classic excuses of our fallen sinful nature for why we do not like to give thanks. Perhaps, you see yourself in one or more of these excuses. I know I do sometimes. But, we have to know who our Lord is and what He has done for us, and out of that response, offer Him gratitude that is overflowing from us to all those around us! Our Lord is there giving us His mercy, standing and telling us to arise to our faith (This list is inspired from Rev. Martin Bell and a sermon he did at my church, All Saints Carmel, when I was a kid in the early 70′s. I still remember it!).

This is what Gratitude helps us do

Gratitude that is directed to God, as the Samaritan leper showed, is an outpouring of our thankfulness coming from our realization that Christ’s blood has redeemed us. We are grateful because we recognize our indebtedness. When we realize who and what He is and what He did for us, we respond and this fuels our enjoyment in Christ. Then, it becomes our attitude for the rest of our lives, even when we do not see it at times. It becomes our prime aspect of worship, expressing our indebtedness to God, and then we can better shine His love to others. When we realize we have benefited because of Christ, our lives can become the display that shows others our support, appreciation, and benevolence. In contrast, when we take for granted our position in Christ, we belittle His work and Holiness, which turns us into ingrates, the opposite of our call; we will then become complainers, exhibiting the same grumbling as the Israelites did in the desert that offended our Holy God so much. Such mindsets only lead us to bitterness and anxiety and a life well wasted. It gives us no change in our situation or a life that really has been transformed (Luke 17:11-19; Rom 12; 1 Cor. 4:7; Phil. 4:6; Col. 1:12; 3; 1 Thess. 5:18).

When we are grateful, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience will flow from us. Then, we can put them together with forgiveness and love, so they operate in the parameters of peace and wisdom-all from our Lord’s love and work and our gratitude toward Him for that love. Be thankful you are able to work out your relationship with Christ; do it with gratitude and for the Lord. Do your job as if Christ were beside you, because He is (Phil 2:12-18).

Gratitude will enable us to live out our lives centered upon His glory, so our lives are inspired to personal growth and thus “spray out” Christ-like thanksgiving an essential aspect of good character. We will be able to strive for greater heights, good works, and personal growth, the things that are important. So, our goodness by what He has done for us will become intertwined with distinction for one another. It is not because we earn anything, but because we are filled with gratitude, which translates into compassion and friendship with others.

When we learn and apply the attitude of gratitude, then Christ is glorified; moreover, quality relationships are built: us with God, us with one another, and us with the world as influencers! This happens best when we realize that Christ paid our debt in full! We will become living signposts for our Lord-considerate, appreciative, and never critical to others.

Where is your thanksgiving?

Questions to Ponder:

1. How do you respond when someone is grateful towards you? How do you feel?

2. What do you think happened to the other nine? What is God telling you about being thankful to Him?

3. What does this passage say to you about indebtedness and appeasing God with your appreciation?

4. What does indebtedness mean to you? What does ingratitude mean to you?

5. How does gratitude encourage and strengthen you? How does it help you be gracious to others?

6. What does this passage tell you about gratefulness, humility, heartfelt thankfulness, worship, and praise?

7. How can gratitude help you be a transformed and changed Christian so you can learn and grow? What is in the way of gratitude affecting you?

8. What do you need to do to have a better attitude of gratitude, being thankful to God and others, even when it seems it is not deserved or fair?

9. How are you motivated when you realize that God listens, responds, and gives you the mercy and grace you do not deserve?

10. Is the sin of ingratitude in your life for which confession and repentance is needed?

11. When and how do you think you have brought joy to Christ’s heart? How can you be better?

12. How will you apply gratitude to your life? What will you do about it? What can you do to better express your indebtedness to God? How will this help you be a better person of His love to others?

Real, effectual Christianity is always characterized by our gratitude that forms our humbleness and submission to Christ’s Lordship because we realize our indebtedness to Him. So, our lives are reflections of our Lord, and become motivated and moved by Him and not anything else. Any squandering of our faith and resources is offensive to our Lord who came as the Ultimate Suffering Servant! Pray that ungratefulness never raises its ugly head in you or your church!

More passage to reflect upon on how gratitude affects all you are and do in life: Psalm 55:22; Matthew 4:18-20; 5:22, 37; 12: 33-37; 15:1-20; Romans 5:3-5; 8:38-39; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4; Colossians 1:21-23; 3:15-17; 4:2-6; 1Timothy 1:10; James 1:3; 3:6; Revelation 21:8

© 1978, 1982, 2009, R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Into Thy Word Ministries

www.intothyword.org/

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CONSERVATIVE VOTER GUIDE

Posted on October 27, 2010 by

As many of you have asked, it is here, the voter guide. Remember, this is NOT an endorsement from LAC, ITW or me, so vote character, values and keep in mind faith and reason…. 

Also, do not vote for dumb people! Seriously, if someone was a bonehead in office before and they are running again, it is a good chance they will be a bonehead- again…-lol
 
Let’s remember one another in prayer!
  
Be blessed!
  
Richard (I am thinking about tea now for some reason)
Phil 1:6
 
From a friend: Greetings California Friends~

Regarding the upcoming general election, I know you’re aware of its importance–some leaders are saying it’s one of the most crucial in our history!  Throughout the nation there are policies at stake that will involve federal funding for abortions, amnesty for illegal aliens, open homosexuality in the military, further assaults on religious liberty, and universal health care legislation amounting to denial of medical services for older Americans. All of these issues and more will hang in the balance on Tuesday.

I’ve taken the liberty to once again gather recommendations from conservative sources to pass along to you. I received the majority of the following information from my contact at The Capitol Resource Institute, which is a conservative organization dedicated to the preservation of family values. I also researched a couple websites, which are listed below (Craig Huey’s site has info on the judges which is difficult to obtain).

If you disagree with any of these suggestions or would like to comment, it is OK, please respond to me personally. Thanks so much!  Feel free to copy this guide and pass it along to your own email contacts.

Note:  some of the candidates I’ve listed will not appear on your ballot, depending upon the district in which you reside. If you would like recommendations for the CA judges outside of the Los Angeles County, log ontowww.judgevoterguide.com. Craig Huey’s website, specifically catering to Christian values voters, is www.electionforum.org. Capitol Resource Institute’s positions on the initiatives is listed on the front of their website:  www.capitolresource.org

 

GOVERNOR-  The recommendation is to vote your conscience.Meg Whitman approves state funding for abortion, has supported Barbara Boxer in the past by her own admission, and has came out against Prop 23. Yes, she is the “less of two evils” when compared with Jerry Brown, but some Christians are opting to write in other candidates or leave their ballots blank.

CONSERVATIVE VOTER GUIDE:

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR- Abel Maldonado is another one who is in essence a liberal. He supported Harvey Milk Day, refused to advocate Prop 8, and is in favor of higher taxes. A lot of grass roots groups are not backing him. The recommendation is to leave your ballot blank or write in Karen England (a Christian conservative). Christian radio talk show host Frank Pastore (KKLA 99.5 FM) recommends writing in Karen England.  

SECRETARY OF STATE- Damon Dunn

CONTROLLER- Tony Strickland

TREASURER- Mimi Walters (conservative who fights social issues)

ATTORNEY GENERAL- Steve Cooley

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER- Mike Villines

MEMBER STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION (4th District)-  Peter “Pedro” De Baets 

U.S. SENATOR-  Carly Fiorina !  She is 100% pro-life, and has publically stated her position on numerous occasions, even while debating Barbara Boxer on television.

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (29th District)- John P. Colbert

STATE ASSEMBLY (44th District)- Alvaro G. Day

JUDICIAL- SUPREME COURT JUSTICE:

Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye- NO

Ming W. Chin- NO

Carlos R. Moreno- NO

JUDICIAL- COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICE:

Robert Mallano- NO

Victoria G. Chaney- YES

Jeffrey W. Johnson- NO

Judith M. Ashmann- NO

Walter Croskey- NO

Steven Suzukawa- YES

Orville “Jack” Armstrong- YES

Paul H. Coffee- YES

JUSTICE- COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICE:

Steven Z. Perren- NO

Laurie D. Zelon- NO

Frank Y. Jackson- YES

Tricia A. Bigelow- YES

Elizabeth Annette Grimes- YES

JUDICIAL- JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT:

Office No. 28 – Randy Hammock
Office No. 117- Alan Schneider
Office No. 136- Amy Hogue

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION- Larry Aceves

COUNTY ASSESSOR-  John Y. Wong

STATE MEASURES: (explanations are listed at www.capitolresource.org)

PROP 19-  NO

PROP 20-  YES

PROP 21-  NO

PROP 22-  NO

PROP 23-  YES

PROP 24-  NO

PROP 25-  NO

PROP 26-  YES

PROP 27-  NO

“Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.” – John Adams, 1765

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Love is a Spiritual Fruit

Posted on September 18, 2010 by

 

            Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14 

Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus! Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus’ followers! The Question for us all is, how is love displayed in you? How can it be more so? 

God, through His Word, is pronouncing to us that the effects and results of love will live far beyond the moments of our life. When we pass on into eternity, and our frail, mortal bodies are laid into the grave to rot, what we have done on this earth, and who we were, will still echo to all those whom we have touched. Such deeds of love will never rot. When real, authentic love is in our lives, it is endowed with an eternal quality, because God is empowering that love. 

So, we need to take this seriously, and with confidence, to allow love to flow into us from Christ, and, in return, flow out from us to those around us. God’s love is the ultimate power for the Christian. Character, and the love that infuses it, will be the only thing we produce that we will take with us into Heaven, the only thing that matters. Love has power that transcends human logic and emotions. So, while we remain here on this earth, let us perform our life with love! Allow your relationships to be built on love instead of the pride and spite we so often dish out.  

If you are thinking, wait, I might get hurt. or, I have been rejected after I spent so much of my time and energies on so-and-so. Well, take to heart this valuable point; you did not waste your time. Giving love and time to others even when we do not get anything back or even if we get hate thrown back at us, is never a waste of time. Emulating and fostering real love is never a waste, because we followed Him! Love is not about our circumstances; it is about Christ working in us. Remember, God has born your hurt, too! 

Love is a spiritual fruit that is built from real, godly character and commitment. It is the fiber of our moral center that stretches throughout our being, embracing and holding together our relationships when it is sealed as a choice and commitment, not just a feeling. Love will synergistically combine with the other characters of our Lord that flow from the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit will promote our ability to relate and grow in all of our relationships, to better others as well as ourselves. 

Most people assume that love is the most important thing in a marriage, or the most important reason to get married!  You will frequently hear people on TV, in the movies, out in the streets of life and even in the church saying, I do not need to work on love and relationships, it will just happen. And, if not, it was not meant to be, and I can get out of it if it does not work out. How sad that philosophy is! But, when you carefully examine love as seen in the Bible and not as seen on TV, you will find that love is a choice. Love is a choice to have it and work on it. Love is a choice over our desires and over and against any feeling or aspiration of what we may want it to be or mean. 

Love is a choice that also happens in a seemingly magical and metaphysical way, as poets have tried to explain it throughout the millennia. But, is that it? As we discovered in the last chapter, the Bible tells us that love is more than a feeling; it has segments and characters to it. Love is also a choice, a decision that must be perused and worked on.  In our human mind, we may see it as magical, as if it “just happened,” but, without pursuing its true meaning and character, it will dispel and waste away. So, when we do receive that spark of love that we cannot explain, in order to keep that magic, that romance, that spark going, we are required to do something about it. If we do not work on it, the spark that was once there will vanish as quickly and as suddenly as it came. It will fade into the night, leaving us in the darkness of the jungle of relationships, lost and confused. We keep that flame from blowing out by our understanding and modeling of the character of love. So, as it becomes contagious and spreads, it flames and excites, burns and grows, so the winds of the ups and downs of a relationship will not blow it out! 

We do not necessarily fall in love as the love songs and movies proclaim, because, you may well fall out of it, faster than you fell in it! If you never choose to make it a commitment, with love, you will never have it, or, if you do, you will not keep it! Love is a verb; it requires action that is implied for being a verb, action to do something with it. What are you doing with it? Are the precepts of 1 Corinthians 13 being put into action with your friends, family, acquaintances, and your spouse? If not, what is in the way of that verb action? 

If you ask most couples who are thinking about marriage, or who are already engaged, why they are getting married, they usually will say: “Why, we’re in love.” It has been through studying the Word, plus, over twenty years of pastoral counseling experience, that has prompted me to question the validity of this motive. Yes, love is essential and powerful! However, if that is all you have, you will end up with nothing! The number one mistake people make when they date is to look just for love. The number one mistake married couples make is thinking that their love is all they need. This puts their brains “on hold” from everything else. Yes, love is putting the precepts of 1 Corinthians 13 into action, but most people, including Christians, do not even know what real love is! So, the precepts they are using in the place of love, thinking it is love, are fuzzies at best or just a feeling or desire that mimics love. Choosing a life partner should never be based on love alone. A marriage cannot last on love alone. This may sound like crazy talk, but think it through. Have you ever seen a relationship work with just love? No, not for movie or TV stars who have everything going for them, not for the singers who sing about it, and not even for the Beatles! Because, they do not know what love is, so they cannot really put it into practice. 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 

Have you ever known someone to get married to a person they did not love (other than Anna Nichole Smith, the model born in1967 who marred the billionaire oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, born 1904; married June 27, 1994; he was many decades her senior and he died a few months after the wedding, or Britney Spears’ two day marriage)? Most, if not all, people who get married, do it for love; yet, according to most statistical evidence, fifty percent will divorce in less than five years. So, what happened to the love? If love is all we need, should it not have worked out? Why did it not work? Because, there never was real love, they misunderstood what love is, they had nothing but love, or they had some real love, but did not work on it, so it dissipated. Perhaps, they let that spark of love flame out in neglect, so that there was a huge vacuum in their relationship! Love should not be the horse in front of the cart. Love alone cannot influence a relationship. Love needs to be a result, not a cause, for getting married. Love is the result of a good marriage, not the fuel to make it. Love is an attitude that is followed by action; when this does not happen, love will sit and go nowhere. 

Just think this through: how much would your marriage, your family relationships, friends, or people at school or at the office improve if you were practicing these love truths—even if they were not! The world says that love must flow two ways, but God says otherwise. Yes, it is better when both parties in a relationship are practicing the elements of 1 Corinthians 13, but we are called to love even when others do not! 

We are to be fueled and empowered by love through all situations. And the incredible news from His Word is that love is already deep within us. All we have to do is learn to let it come up to the surface as a fountain of living water (John 7:38) so it infuses us and touches others. God does not just command us to love; He has fashioned us to Love! We already can do it, we already have it at our disposal and He keeps giving love to us abundantly. He designed us to commune and to communicate, so when we fail at it, we fail because we are not working on or in it. 

Christian love is the turning of our backs to self-concerns, and facing forward to our relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. It is the surrender of our will to His. Because, if love does not take us beyond our self-interests, then what we have is lust, and not love! Then, as the passage says, we are just noise that has no reason or purpose. Out of true love, God the Father gave us His Son, and the Son gave us His life as a replacement for ours. The Son sent the Spirit to save us, and we should be literally overwhelmed—consumed with extreme joy and gratitude by what God has done for us. Then, that can turn and spill onto others around us. If not, then read Romans 1:21! 

They key to all of this? Be willing to apply love and respect the other person and stay committed to these precepts! Ephesians 5:33 states, However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. God’s Word gives us the plan; we have to be willing (the hard part) and capable (what we already have at our means) to carry it out. Love and respect traverses genders and crosses lives and must cross yours by His Cross to others too! 

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:1-5 

We can either say God your will be done or He will say I will let your will be done and then we live with the consequences! Real, spiritual improvement comes from surrendering our will—not opposing or imposing upon His will. 

© 2000, 2010, R.J. Krejcir

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God’s love must be our model for life!

Posted on September 18, 2010 by

 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12 

The Greatest of these is love! 1 Corinthians 13:13 

Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus! Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus’ followers! The Question for us all is, how is love displayed in you? How can it be more so? 

The love that Christ has for us is demonstrated by His ultimate sacrifice. All He asks of us is to receive Him and His love so we can play it forward to others, to show His love by our display of love so we succeed at His will. His love is what causes us to know Him and His love working in and out of us causes us to make Him known to others even more so. We were sinners; now because of His love we are His people united to Him, reconciled to God, and filled with the Spirit. Now, this love becomes the process of ours and others continued blessings. All it takes is our dedication to Christ, so we can respond by faith, worship, and spiritual formation to carry on His love. This is what the Christian life is all about—growing in Christ. It is the our life-long process of discipleship and spiritual growth that builds our faith and knowledge in Him so we can take a hold of His love and produces even more of it back to Him and onto others. This helps us with our assurance, maturity, character, and spiritual formation. We become changed because we have received Christ and we can keep loving. If not, there is something fundamentally wrong in our Christian operating system, because love helps us sees more hope and reassurance of faith (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 5; Heb. 10: 26-39; 12:14; 2 Pet. 1: 5-11). 

· Love one another. This means sacrificial, unselfish, determined love; the change is from “neighbor” to “one another” to make sure the theme is community. Love confirms the genuineness of Jesus and us as followers! This is also a template on the importance and value of friendships (Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27; John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17; Rom. 12:10; 13:8; 14:13; 1 Thess. 3:12; 4:9; 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 3:22; 4:8; 23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 1: 5)! 

· Love is/Charity. The Greek word is Agape, which means “self giving” and “sacrificial,” that is more concerned with others than self. It was used in Classic Greek literature to refer to someone who was generously favored by a god. It conveys the idea of a person giving all his or her love, or favor, to someone else rather than to self. It is a love that is not earned; in contrast, it is relational and given freely. It also refers to parents giving all of their love to their child. In the New Testament, agape love was used to make a similar point, as God gives to each of us all of His love. It is a love that is bestowed without expectations of a response from the other. Agape love is also the most common word used both as a noun and a verb in the New Testament. The greatest example of agape love is what our Lord Jesus Christ did when He died for our sins. Consequently, God’s agape love gave us His forbearance and rescue from the punishment that we deserved. Rather than receiving what we should have, we received His favor without earning it. The word Charity, used in the KJV and other translations, is a poor word rendering and does not reflect the sacrificial nature of the Greek word (Deut. 6:5; Joshua 24:14 -15; Isa. 44:9-20; Mark 12:28-31; John 3:16; 21:16; Matt. 22:34-40; John 3:16; 13:1, 34-35; 14:1; 15:9; Rom. 1:31; 5:8-10; 8; 12:10; 13:11-14; 1 Cor. 7:32-35; 13; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5 Gal. 5:5; Eph. 2:4-7; Phil. 2:2; Col. 1:1-6; 3:5, 12-14; , 12-14; 1 Thess. 1:3; 2:8; 3:6; 12; 4:9-10; 5:8-13; 2 Tim. 3:3; Heb. 10:24; 1 John 4:7-12). 

When we love one another, we prove and exhibit Christ! We become His display case, His product demonstrators. This is our “mark,” the prime characteristic that makes us friendly and connectable to others, and how we are to be known-by what Christ does with us and calls us to. We are to love one another-period! No strings attached! This is the mold for the form that we use to display God’s love to the world (John 13:34-35; 15:13-17; Gal. 5:22; 1 John 2:10; 3:14-16)! 

A love that is great means that we have a love from God that in turn must be our pattern and plan for all we are and do. If love is to be great in us, as it is by what Christ has given us, it must take us beyond our self-interests. If not, all that remained in us would be lust or envy and not real love! Then, as the passage starts off with, all we are would be just an annoying noise that had no reason or purpose. Love is the greatest because out of true love, God the Father gave us His Son, and the Son gave us His life as a replacement for ours. The Son sent the Spirit to us, and we should be literally overwhelmed and consumed with extreme joy and gratitude by what God has done for us. Then in turn, we can pass this love on to others. 

Love also comes about by our trust in Christ that should show up as gratitude and a life well lived out. We can easily do this when we see what He has for us and then we can trust in what lies ahead for us. And of course, what awaits us in the eternity of Heaven is more than a carrot on a stick. We need to realize that what we have is incredible and what we will have is absolutely beyond words! Astonishing! This helps us see that hope fuels our joy because of what He has done and what He has for us to come. 

God is kind to us and Love fuels our assurance that He will continue to be so; then, we can be kind to others. When God is patient with us, then we are patient with others and so forth. It is really simple; the perplexing problem is why are we not doing a better job at this in our homes and churches as well as our schools and workplaces and the place where we are in life? We have to be Christ’s faithful servants in order to help further the Kingdom and glorify Christ our Lord! Because His great love is in us, we see His wonders at work; then, we can display His love through our lives. Love is the call He has given to us! Further, we are not alone in this; we have His Holy Spirit to enable and empower us! So, what is stopping us? 

The proof of Love is not what we say about it; it is how we live it out, with faith, love, and because we are all linked and interconnected. Living obedience and gratitude must pour from the true believer for love to be displayed so to outlive and out love the world to show the world the sacrificial love of our Lord. Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus! Love confirms the authenticity of Jesus’ followers (Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27; John 13:31-35; 15:12-13, 17; 1 Cor. 13:3; Rom. 12:10; 13:8; 14:13; 1 Thess. 3:12; 4:9; 2 Thess. 1:3; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 3:22; 4:8; 23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 1: 5)! 

When love is practiced, our relationships are certain to succeed. When we practice love, we are both trusting and obeying our Lord, doing His prime will. We can take to heart that the love we give will never be defeated, no matter how poorly people treat us in return, or, only appear to be playing their part. When we give love and it is not returned, the hurt and rejection we receive is not in vain. We may feel hurt, confused, and not understand what has happened or why we did not succeed. But, in God’s eyes, we did succeed. Our time of giving love did not go to waste!  We all, at some time, will experience love for someone who does not return it to us; perhaps you were even the one who did not return it to someone else. There are a multitude of reasons for that. Maybe the love was not meant to be; perhaps he/she was the wrong person for you. Maybe you got your signals crossed, or maybe you were too afraid to take the chance. Maybe the fear of being rejected consumed you, so, you are alone now. Your hurt has become your identity, while love and relationships go unmet and undone. If this is your life, remember: Love is never offered in vain. Your hurt has not been borne alone! 

If you love the Lord, then you will trust and obey Him, because real love is evidenced by gratitude and obedience, and because there is no other way! You will follow His precepts and commands with full faith and due diligence. This is a necessity for life because the world does not know God or His ways and He must be displayed in you for others to see as He was presented by Christ for all to see. People will not even look for real truth or the real God, so they must see Him and His love in you. 

  1. Why is real, authentic Love the greatest thing we could ever have or do? Why is this important? What have you done with this truth?
  1. How does understanding love help you deal with personal relationship problems?
  1. How and why does Love confirm the authenticity of Jesus? How and why does Love confirm the authenticity of Jesus’ followers? How is this displayed in you? How can it be more so?
  1. Take a look at each of the aspects of Love in this 1 Corinthians 13 passage; now, replace the word “love” with “Jesus!” For example…Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind…; what does this do for you? How does this give you a glimpse into His character? How does this motivate you to be His vibrant display?

 © 2000, 2010, R.J. Krejcir

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