Biblical Principles of God’s Call to Manage His Church

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Biblical Guy

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 Biblical Guy

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 Biblical Guy

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 Biblical Guy

 

            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 Biblical Guy

 

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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Forgive One Another?!

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Biblical Guy

 

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Matthew 18:21-22

If you want to be successful as a Christian and as a church you must be willing and able to Forgive. And… real forgiveness takes us beyond our hurts!

This section flows right on the heels of storing up resentment. Stubbornness is human nature; we don’t like to admit we are wrong and when someone wrongs us, we naturally don’t want him or her to forget it. Having spent years working with teenagers as well as dysfunctional churches (pretty much the same), a week would not go by without at least one teen coming to me explaining what their friend did to them and how they can never forgive that person. I tried my best to explain that Christ tells us to forgive our enemies regardless of what they do to us because nothing done to us can ever match the debt that we owe Christ for what He forgave us for. So, since Christ forgives us, it should naturally be our duty to forgive others. After that short explanation, I would get all kinds of “but, but, but, you don’t understand, but, why should I forgive him, he never admitted that he’s wrong, I should only forgive someone if they admit that they’re wrong.” I would go on to explain that it’s not our obligation or concern that they admit that they’re wrong; they’re accountable to the Lord for that, not us. It’s just our duty to forgive, whether we like it not.

Forgiveness requires maturity, patience, and tact. Forgiveness is also a mandate from our Lord. God desires us to seek forgiveness because God is a God of forgiveness; He is centered upon and committed to relationships. God knows our human weaknesses, our self-destructive nature, and that our relationships tend to be fragile. Broken relationships come out of our sin nature and our fallen world, which seeks self over others. God’s desire is to show the world our potential because of what Christ has done for us, and that we should not take pleasure in destructive situations that divide and draw relationships apart.

Relationships are what life is all about. Satan’s desire is to destroy relationships as he first attempted to do in the Garden of Eden, where our relationship with God and one another were nearly defeated. God’s plan is to prove Satan wrong, and our call is to build one another up, not to destroy. When we have the knowledge of God’s mercy, then we have the responsibility of acting with mercy to one another. (Ephesians 4:29-32) How can we go through our Christian life experience, rationalizing our actions and deeds only to face our Lord later on in judgment?

Ask yourself this question; how do I handle forgiveness? How do you respond when others forgive you? What do you do with opportunities that our Lord has for you? We must realize the generosity of grace, and that by being in Christ we have what we do not deserve. Our Lord does not want us to forgive begrudgingly, because He did not forgive us with conditions or strings attached.

We as Christians must extend ourselves to other people with love; and what flows out of love is forgiveness (John 13:34-35). This should be clear to us. A healthy Christian is one who puts aside the malicious traits of the evil sin nature and in their place model kindness, love, caring, and compassion. Out of these will flow forgiveness. God wants us to get with it, to wake up and seize the opportunities He gives us.

When we are unforgiving, playing the blame game, being intolerant, or callous or bitter, we are doing the very opposite of what a Church should and must do! When we refuse to forgive or refuse to repent, then we are concealing ourselves from God’s precepts and His best for us and rationalizing the reality of the infection of sin and its destructive nature to our being as well as to those around us. We create a wall to shut ourselves off from God and one another. In so doing, we turn on ourselves with the consequence of our actions or inactions and then we receive no reprieve or comfort. After that come the guilt and bitterness as our personal lives dissolve and our impact on the community becomes a hindrance instead of a blessing. Take a serious look at Psalm 32; meditate over it carefully, and then surrender yourselves to the love of Christ. Allow the sin to be forgiven and released. Be courageous to seek out forgiveness, public confession, and reconciliation. Allow yourself to grow and mature to become the best whole person that Christ wants you to be. There is simply no better way to heal a hurting church.

Forgiveness can be tough, especially for a teenager. It takes discipline and maturity to admit that we’re wrong, and it takes someone rooted in Christ, modeling what Christ did for us, to truly forgive. We must have a grasp of the magnitude of what Christ forgave us for, of what Christ did on the cross on our behalf. Then we must realize that there’s nothing in all of creation that we can do to right the wrong of sin that separates us from God the Father. Only Christ’s death on the cross bridged that gap for us. So, because of the ultimate forgiveness that Christ gave us, it should be our tendency, our natural inclination, to forgive others. It comes down to this: has the realization of how much we have been forgiven by Christ hit us? It enables us to forgive the insignificant things that are done to us. It involves not being resentful to others, and ignoring the wrongs that we have received so we can heal relationships through expressing Christ’s love.

(There is much more on how to understand and handle and dispense forgiveness in my book, The Field Guide to Healthy Relationships.)

The Call is Clear

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5

This is practical wisdom that needs to be applied daily—both to those who are in the Church and those who are not. Every situation we face holds the opportunity to be a positive, tactful witness. We must take careful note: a church that does not practice forgiveness cannot function, and it will fail. The people will leave, visitors will stop coming and definitely will not return, and its people will wither away spiritually, accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom of God.

We are to live in such a way as to attract, not repel; we are to impress, not depress. We are to accept and wholeheartedly buy into God’s call with our will, thoughts, and actions. It can be that a Christian in China is persecuted for his faith, or events such as the Littleton Colorado tragedy of Cassie Barnard who lost her young life because she said yes to her belief in God as her fellow student shot and killed her can happen. Most likely, our situation is that someone is gossiping and we are unable to realize the situation from God’s perspective and our call to forgive and move on. We must always see beyond our immediate situation to the hope that Christ gives us. Our human nature will not avail when confronted with bitterness, but through Christ we will prevail.

Scripture commands us to be patient with the wrongdoer and show grace to him/her. Yes, forgiveness is difficult because it denies our perceived rights as Americans. Forgiveness also may cost us greatly and may even ruin our reputation with our peers. Forgiveness does not mean looking the other way when a wrong is being committed. Forgiveness is not winking at sin. Forgiveness is not a license to do evil, nor is forgiveness just being polite and tactful. When someone steals something from you, you are to forgive the person who stole it; but it doesn’t nullify the law that was broken or the restitution that needs to be made.

The goal of forgiveness is overcoming the evil with good, and surrendering our rights of getting “even” over to God, because He is sovereign and the vengeance belongs to Him. In this way, relationships prosper and the Church succeeds. We are freed from the trap of shame and guilt that burns like those “heaps of coals.” The world’s thinking is that we need to get revenge; and when we do not, their own actions can turn against them. A fellow student of mine in Junior High School teased me relentlessly for years, to the point that I would get in fights with him. At the start of High School, I decided not to let him bother me, but rather be nice to him (advice from my pastor). So, when he started his teasing, I retaliated with kindness, and soon we became friends. Oh, how I hated doing that. It was a tough lesson for me to learn and do, but it worked out better than my own plan of vengeance would have—a lesson it seems I keep having to learn. The passage in Matthew 18 ends with the pronouncement that the Lord will reward you. My reward was gaining a friend who was once my enemy.

This subject of forgiveness is paramount in the life of a healthy church. We cannot be adequately used by God to further His kingdom unless we learn what forgiveness is all about. We need to take the responsibility to live in peace, and take the responsibility to resolve the conflicts that come up to destroy the church. We may not be able to personally resolve it, but we can refuse to participate in its continuance and spread. God wants us to be the peacemakers, as the Sermon on the Mount urges us to do. Yes, people will take advantage of us, but that too can be a witness. Our call is clear; are you able and willing? Forgiveness as Christ forgave is true forgiveness; that is how we are urged to forgive one another.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

© 1999, 2007, Richard J. Krejcir, Ph.D. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership, www.churchleadership.org

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Are you a Doulos, PII?

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Leaning what it means to be a “Love Servant” for Christ! 

….so did John in Revelation 1:1! 

This will be the shortest passage I will ever preach on, a whole sermon, actually part two on one word, doulos… 

First of all, I am surprised you have me speak on this again??? I am not sure how I should feel about this….but since you want more I am giving you more… Keep in mind I am not relishing this, this has been a very humbling exercise and experience for me. One key word has wreck havoc on my understating on who Jesus is and who I am in Him. It has wrung me dry in my devotions and growth. I think for the better… and for my many conversation this has caused quite a stir here with you all too. 

First off clarifications. I did not mean to impute motives to the translators of our modern translation or those of old. Keep in mind; these are translations of a foreign word that is over 2,000 years old to the modern vernacular. After a little more digging on why they did that, basically to sidestep much of the baggage of what slavery means to our African American community, and that few people know the “love servant” theme in Deuteronomy 15…and the title in the bulletin to place you all at ease? Or maybe not…. 

Good news, Tyndale is working on a new totally upgrade to the LB, and will be more of a transition, not a paraphrase, and in Rom I:I and Rev. 1:1 “salve” will be used for doulos…this may take a couple years before it sees the light of day. But I have the privilege to do some of the exegetical work and I am very pleased on the quality of the people behind it and the commitment to bring God’s Word to Light in the best means possible…. Of course they will probably call it the “New Living Bible”…you know the same mentality, people from York crossed an ocean of great expanse and expense and colonized a new world and can’t come up with a new name…. New York? If you think about it, it is quite funny…. Anyway….. 

The theme of “doulos”is submission, a far cry from the American ideals of personal freedom, liberation, and choice. Rather this is an act of mutual love~ However, consider this; submission is not the tyrannical concept most of us harbor in our minds. Rather, it is freedom! It is a form of the offering we are to God with our respect. It allows us to be free, and to have the best flowing in and out of us. It is a safe harbor of smooth waters keeping us protected from the storms of wrong actions and bad choices, what the other master, the Devil offers us. Slavery in Christ frees us from bad thinking that leads to bad choices which, in turn, leads to a life of misery and trouble! 

A love servant in Deuteronomy 15  means, a devoted slave says to their master to pierce their earlobe with an “awl” against the doorframe of the house. i.e. a big ear piercing, to symbolize a very clear message that echoes what should be in our heart to our Saving LORD, “I love you, I need you, and I will not leave You.” This is a declaration as a servant in your house, I will remain loyal and trust you will trust me thus, so I am not going to leave you for another master… 

This act permanently bonded this slave to this house as in family and to this master. And this slave could never be released and go free again. Nor could the master ever sell them, so this act had mutual effects and consequences and responsibilities. Thus this slave became more than a servant, they became more of a family member who was permanently attached to this family…bondservant. These servant were like Joseph and Potapher, trusted with more of their master’s dealings than a normal slave or servant would have. 

Thus as a slave for Christ we can use this as an expression of faith and a conviction to grow deeper in our spiritual formation.  “I love you, Lord, and I will never leave or forsake You.” 

Servant means a slave, the fact that as a committed follower of Christ, I must attest that I belong completely and entirely to Christ. He purchased, restored, and renewed me and He empowers me. As a “doulos” I can now understand my relationship and position in Christ. I can realize I am dependent upon and grateful to Christ as LORD. He is my only true Truth and rule, for in the here and now and into all of eternity. 

And again, this is good, there is no better safer more pleasing to God and better for me than here as His slave. We have to get the horrific image of Africans chained on a salve boat and then being sold on a stage show out of your mind and place in your mind’s eye the faithful love servant or in our case our love for Christ and He as the Master, our loving Shepherd in His great pasture showing you the way. Being a slave to Christ is not about degradation or subjection; rather it is our liberation. Thus, I can and will trust and obey Him and follow His precepts! So the question now is how are you going to live and express it? How will this help you lead and manage your self, family and church (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)? 

So, are you “souled” out to Christ? Do you realize that your life is His? The will you are to seek is His? Every breath you take, every step you take is marked by His love for you! Are you now, absolutely sold to Him as His slave? Able to know Him more and do His will with gratefulness and glee? I can do as He calls, not be embarrassed or fell I must usurp my ways as His Way? I can go as He leads to where He directs and I can trust He will not lead or call me where He will not take care of me. Being a slave in Christ means I can trust and obey Him and do this well! So are you hopefully devoted to Christ? Can you see how many 70’s love songs I snagged for this sentence? A slave is devoted to Christ, as a Christian this must be the direction of our walk and the must be practice of our leadership for Him! 

Can we be a slave today?  

Paul did it, he was an extreme example of multiplying networks and energizing and influencing people for the Lord. He left his cozy great position as a Pharisee that he worked so hard for so long to obtain and gave it all up to serve Christ. In so doing, he even had great zeal. By his example, by our Lord’s command our faith can be and must be of great value to Him. Christianity is not to be a spectator sport; it must be engaged with our best means for God’s glory for all things in our lives, school, work, family, ministry, and relating to strangers. It must all glorify our Lord! 

Being excited about who you are in Christ is an essential aspect of attracting people and motivating them for and in service and leadership for Christ. We can see the call and the example in the Bible. We can also say, well I am no Paul, and who is, but what he modeled and taught is for the everyman, every person for you and for I. Consider that new Christians bring in most of the new converts because they are excited and are energized. Even though new Christians may be ignorant on matters of theological understanding and apologetically, they are bringing people in versus people who have been Christians for many years but tend to lose their excitement and, thus, may rarely bring people into the church. As a slave for Christ, this is our excitement our mission! 

Paul, Peter, John and James as well as many other Bible characters taught and modeled being a slave for Jesus and this is for our benefit, protection and growth and for us to remember who we are, Who Jesus is and be humble. We glorify God with our humility when we endure with our faith and character—no matter what we might face or have experienced. This shows our right relationship to God, our right summation of ourselves. The chief purpose for Christians, above all else, is to glorify God (Luke 22:42; John 17:22; Eph. 4:1-16). 

We are Salves to the Good Shepherd 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 

Christ the Shepherd provides for us an image of leading and protecting. Jesus comes as the Good Shepherd to rescue His lost sheep. We have gone astray and have given in to sin; He brings us back to His fold. We will pursue this as a contrast in an upcoming article or see our Bible study in John 10 (Psalm 23:1; Isa. 53:6; Jer. 50:6; Ezek. 34:5; Matt. 14: 13-21; John 10:11; Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:20; James 5: 19-20). This is also a name for Jesus (Psalm 23, 79:13, 95:7, 80:1, 100:3; Gen. 49:24; Isa. 40:11). 

Christ has made us right with God. So, how do we live that faith? How do we show our gratitude and response? We can only begin to fathom all the precious privileges and wondrous blessings given to us by Christ. We have the responsibility to act upon them, and for the growth of our faith, character, and maturity. Do we fully understand that we have been rescued from sin and darkness and from hopeless despair? Has that hit home? Are you filled with gratitude because of what Christ has done? To venture further in the faith beyond our saving faith, we have to take heed and be encouraged that God is our rescuer! Therefore, we are to respond in gratitude for His provision and gifts (Col. 1: 9-14; 2:7; 3:17; 4:2)! 

The bottom line of being His slave is that the principles of the Gospel must impact us so we are influenced and energized by it. If the follower is ungrateful or a Christian leader is not humble and excited, our message will drop off and fall flat. The learner and hearer will not desire something irrelevant and unexciting. If they see no good example or excitement in the leader, why would they want to be a part of it? The nature of the Christian life is the joy and excitement of being in Christ over all else, and this should be the biggest motivation so the excitement the leader receives from his growth becomes contagious to those around him; this is influence. Being in Christ means living our lives for Him with excitement in all times and all places. This is influence (Acts 2:18; 1Cor 7:22; Eph 6:6; Col 4:12; 2Ti 2:24). 

Being His slave means a more content life 

The event of knowing God is not a one-time event; it is a continual relationship, where we constantly rely on Him with conviction and compliance. He is the Hope we have; He gives us grace and peace. Our place and security is in Heaven to come and our joy can then be declared and lived out. Paul affirms that yes, as His slave, Christ is sufficient for faith and salvation; nothing else is or could be. Yes, we do have hope beyond hope. If our place is secured in eternity—and it is; if we have a Savior in Whom we can have faith and trust—and we do, then we can lead a life of endurance no matter what is thrown at us. These are things we cannot accomplish by our own means; we need Jesus. He needs to be placed first! Thus, Paul urges them and us to put Christ first, and to move on to spiritual maturity. From this perspective, we know His Truth so we can still be triumphant in Him in the time we have here on earth (Phil 1:6, 27; 2:12-13). 

Conclusion 

Philippians 2:5-7. 

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  

True spiritual wisdom is the growth of our faith and the thinking and application of what Jesus has taught. The will of God is about learning about Him, following His decrees, and building fruit and character. After that, one can make good decisions and weed out false teachings and bad decisions and poor leadership. Seeking to place Jesus first and foremost so to follow only Him, and thus love, trust, and obey Christ is a mindset and lifestyle (Matt. 6:33; Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:17; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:18; 1 Tim. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:13-15; 4:19). 

A love servant which means, a devoted slave, a mature Christ is devoted to Christ so we come to the place “I love you, Lord, and I never, ever will want to leave You or be disloyal to you!” Also keep in mind our Lord calls us His sons and His Children of love….just take a quick red in 1 John…. And be amazed…and yes we all can be the love slave to Christ (Luke 17:7-10; Rom. 121-11)! 

Need one more thought to cement this in? The opposite theme of “servant” and “slave” is Biblically, “selfishness.” A servant says, “How can I please you?” Selfish person says, “What can you do to please me?” …What is the chief aim of our existence and first rue of our catechism?….glorify God, we can do that when we are selfish… 

Who are we not to say that, I am a salve of Jesus? 

Be blessed!!!… and remember being Christ slave puts us in His pure perfect will and the best care so we are His love servant in His family…in good hands of love!   

Benediction, Jesus asks us to be His servant for life. So let us do this, let’s start by committing to be His servant today! 

As His Slave we can serve well! 

© 1991 Rev. R.J. Krejcir

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Are you a Doulos?

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Leaning what it means to be a Slave for Christ! 

The question that I propose to us all this morning, while many of us are still a bit sleepy, well maybe just me….Are you devoted to Jesus? If so, how so? Are you truly devoted to Jesus as LORD? Have you ever considered that if you are a mature believer or desire to be a mature believer you must be a slave to Jesus too? If not, we will be a slave to our misguided will and to the manipulations of Satan and others? 

Hold on, put the stones down and let’s look at this objectively….It comes to a key word and a premise we will see thought Scripture and validated by key scholars and key Bible figures. This premise, a growing and mature Christian will have to realize that we belong exclusively to Christ! The word is “doulos” and it means we are more bonded too and obligated to Christ then our church vernacular and culture and popular preaching is saying! That we realize that Jesus Christ is more than a mere dada or best friend…he not our copilot or spiritual guide…He is not a past religious figure hanging n a cross or around our neck…He is more and we are more in Him……..He is not merely regulated to a catechism or a creed not matter how important it is to us….He…Jesus Christ… has purchased us out of sin and doom into His love, care and grace! He took us from sin and has given us a great reason for being for His glory! 

We are a slave to Christ! And I will explain to you that this is good! Look at it this way….at some point in our spiritual development we have to understand beyond simple belief in the magnitude of Who and What Jesus is, and then who we are in Christ. Our simple act of saving faith must grow to a point we can truly trust and say, I am solely and soul; totally belong to Christ as His pupil and His property! Jesus Christ is LORD, He is my LORD and my Master, my Savior, my KING and there is no better place for me to be! So. Is this is so, yes we are a doulos! 

Let’s now see why: 

Peter, Paul and Mary, not the rock group, and James and many more say it is so!  

Jets look at the beginning of two Epistles, Romans 1:1 and James 1:1… 

In Romans Paul the magnificent theology and his incredible treatise opens it all up with an astonishing humble statement. Keep in mind this is Paul, God’s chosen leader of the Gentiles, leader of leaders who gives this astounding proclamation. Keep in mind, he the highest of educated people, a coveted Roman citizen and a top dog of his profession as a Pharisee. He then climbed that ladder right up the hill twice, the ladder to the apex as a Jewish leader and then the ladder to be the quintessential church leader. He was a man directly called to and spoke to by Christ Himself Who used him to write of half of the New Testament! He was an Apostle, a real Apostle, not some self proclaimed one like you see on TV…..and….he made this statement, in fact several times in several places, I am a devoted salve of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:1)! 

Then, James the half brother of Jesus, the first leader of the Early Church also, also, starts out his book also by massive humbleness, confessing who Jesus is. This is the guy, the guy Jesus appeared to after the resurrection and transformed him a real transformer not mere toy that is more than meets the eye…. And it must took some doing some extra doing to get him to be transformed! After all he was his brother! Jesus took James from a younger brother to see his elder brother as THE Messiah, from lord, to Lord, to LORD. At some point he became so indebted to his brother that He became his Lord and Savior, that he freely calls himself a slave to Jesus as his identity. 

If you know anything about sibling relationships, this was a profound impact and greater than a mere spiritual statement. He is not speaking of one who is in forced bondage, rather one who has been freed and still desires to be indebted too and fully and completely serve Jesus with all of his life and strength, to glorify Him. James realized that his life and purpose was all about who God is, and not who he is (Psalm 15; 101; Gal. 1:19; 1 Cor. 15:7; 2 Cor. 5:15-20; 2 Thess. 1:12; Titus 2:13; James 1:1-4; Jude 1:1). 

Then, then it continues, then we see Simon Peter, do the same! Claiming his role as the early church leader, leader of the Disciples the foundation of the Church and to feed the sheep ….a Bondservant! Or better said a slave, a slave for Christ~!He, the once impetuous, rash and willful follower whom Jesus changed his name to Cephas, which means, “Rock,” the chosen stone to lead the Church, the first Pope, the guardian of the “pearly gates,” by the way this is legend not Scriptural, but fun to say…. He is the one who sank when he should have walked on water; he was the one who denied Christ, ratted out by a chicken, who finally repented and then became the dedicated true servant (Matt. 15:15; 16:18; 18:21; Mark 1:16-18, 26-37; 5:37; 8:29; 9:2-6; 14:33; Luke 12:41; John 6:68; 21:15-19; Acts 10:18; 15:14; 1 Cor. 1:12; 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1). 

In fact we see this pattern a lot in Scripture to those who claim to be real devoted follower of Christ, who sought after God’s heart, whose life is about pursuing and glorifying God and not one’s self or culture. In the Old Testament, we see the king of the Prophets, the Lawgiver and  leader, the liberator and lawgiver Moses…then we see the warrior leader and land taker Joshua….then we see shepherd turned warrior, king David…then we see more of God’s mighty Prophets like Isaiah call themselves slaves to God~! These were no riffraff folks, these people were not only great and the top of their game in leadership and excellence, they all clamed God as Lord and they as the devoted slave in bondage to Him. 

Keep in mind, this was in a time when over one third of the world’s population was a victim of a slave trade or bought then sold or born in indentured service or captured as war plunder and sold, these were the real suffering servants whom nay were just killed outright because they had no rights. These great mighty men used this term, SLAVE….to describe themselves!!! _____ (heb) that meant in the Hebrew to willingly commit themselves as a slave to a master with no rights, to describe themselves as they committed with reverence, respect and utter devotion to their LORD Master. They, even with their position, praise or harsh circumstances and call, knew Who God was and who they were in Him (Ex. 21:5; Num. 14:24; Deut. 15:12-16; 34:5; Josh 24:29; 2 Sam. 3:18; 7:5, 8; 2 Kings 21:8; Job 1:8; Psalm 78:70; 105:6, 42; 105:26 Isa. 42:1,53:11; Jer. 7:25; Amos 3:7; Zec. 1:6; Mal 4:4). 

So what is a Slave to God mean?  

It all comes down to one word that appears over one hundred times in the New Testament! You guessed it, the title in the bulletin, Doulos~ 

What does that word doulos mean in its original nuance, context, historical situation and everyday usage? What did it mean to the people of that day, not so much to us know, but to the man on the street in the first century? When Paul and James called themselves a slave what were they actually saying? Many people, pastors and even Bible translators seem not to know! 

You can see this in the pew Bible, our NIV it does not say slave it say’s servant! So does the KJV! So, you are thinking this is what happens when we have the YP teach, he does not know what he is talking about… Did you know this guy who leads your youth and charges you for the pizza is working on a PHD and has thoroughly and humbly examined this to every detail for a paper. And what I found out is not pretty. Either fraud or preciousness or just a fear of conviction, or a trip around the bush…the wrong words is used….and we in the church today do not get this key word. We think it means one thing when in fact it means something quite different! 

Some translations like NASB and NKJV state, use the term “bondservant,” or  “devoted servant,” but after careful research it clearly meant “slave.” It did not mean just a servant or a follower or even a devoted follower. The word in the Greek is “doulos,” or “sun-doulos. If you have a hard time with this, OK, I did too. But you can do down the street to Fuller and just look up the word in Kettle, the main Greek lexicon and the scholar of scholars makes this radical statement, “…the word doulos means slave, it does not man anything else anywhere in Scripture…”. And he is the guy that lays out every conceivable nuance of every word in the New Testament. Then other Greek Lexicons stat the same…douls means “literally, slave or born bondsman” “a servant, attendant” or “one devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests” “one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men”. And we have bondman, man of servile condition… which as one commenter stated, “It’s a nice way of saying slave!” Now let’s take a breath…So this is not my conjecture…. 

Further research shows that the real only meaning from “deo” which is “to bind” and with the ending “os” a person to another as a slave, nothing more and nothing less as a word meaning. They who do w have servant in our Bible here? I have no idea, I asked on the main translators, he is one of my profs, he said that was the context but I pointed out to him where is that in the context? He could not answer, then he said this is a “dynamic transition” not a word for word, also slave is too harsh of a word to use for this translation…Servant is the wrong word and he finally fessed up to it! 

In addition, there are six other better words that mean “servant.” Keep in mind, any good word study will take in consideration the background and language of that word, how it is used elsewhere in Scripture other ancient texts and then its cultural usage to determine a more specific designation. In regards to “doulos” like in the above examples, the word “savant” meaning, which is rarely translated as such, clearly meant a slave! 

What was a “doulos” slave? This was a person who was in Greek times, the lowest form of a slave, totally at the master’s disposal and even expendable. They were bonded to another person and had no rights, land or money. Such people with that designation rowed the boats of war with a whip at their back. So why is this used for a prime follower of Christ? 

Because as the word denotes, we are “to bind” to Christ as our LORD Master! 

 Thus, this term also refers to godly mature followers of Christ as an awareness and practiced attitude of surrendered devotion, because we are bonded to Jesus Christ as our Sovereign Lord and Savior who we owe an un-payable debt too. These great godly people were are at a total surrendered devotion that the slave/disciple of the Lord has a will that has been sacrificed to God’s will and thus is totally at the disposal of our Lord! Paul’s slavery is his freedom and reason. James was his liberation and purpose and Peter it was his act of gratitude too. 

This was a profound testimony for Paul, Peter and James and clearly applies to anyone daring to seek a leadership role in God’s fruitful bride, His church! Who are we to ever think we are better and deserve a more pronounced position or title than a Apostle, Disciple or Brother of Jesus who said they were Christ’s slave! 

Of course, slavery has some negative conations, perhaps the biggest blight on humanity sowing our darkest sin. The history of slavery and slave traders and its abuses and traffic is heinous, not such a great testimony for Europe and early America. Did you know why I am a bit darker than most Dutch boys? Even though I can’t dance or shoot a hoop, my great grandfather was born a slave, and I knew him as a child and the stories he told. This is why you may see my at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles and lovin it there! So when slavery is mentioned what comes to my mind is my family heritage and my grandfathers stories. What may come to others is that we may put up our defensive mechanisms and either do not understand or seek to counter the precepts of the key word that Scripture gives and insert our own idea, thinking we know better. 

What did Peter Paul and Mary mean by this? 

The context of the meaning to “doulos” is that we are bond totally and completely to Christ by His Work and grace! Our close binding to Christ, is our tie to Him, our motivation to realize our obligation to Him, our indentured and indebted willing service to Him. We must with this awareness desperately and passionate and freely and gratefully cling to our Most High God and be glad in Him in so doing. 

This is not just servitude; it is our life and responsibility, our purpose to know and peruse and then pursue His perfect plan. Here comes the relief the good news to those of us who gaped at this concept…it is hinged.. hinged to God love and mercy! So we can take heart that this is all good, this is the best…..so we can be focused and consumed to know and follow the heart and will of our Lord God who so loved us, He purchased us out of a slavery of sin and drudgery. We were bound to sin and helplessness, now we are bonded to a loving, caring Shepherd who desires to carefully carry us to His prime pasture lands and graze on His precepts, and feed on His Word and produce His call, the fleece to give Him glory and build His Kingdom. Need some mint sauce on that? 

If you still do not like this term slave as our Bible translators, keep in mind either way you will be a salve. Either we will be a “love slave” in Deuteronomy ….exp…and thus bond to Satan or Bond to Christ, who would be your best slave master, the loving Shepherd who deeply loves you who has a great purpose for you or the master of evil and manipulation who desires to destroy and to kill you off and leave you destitute and hopeless? One master has us bond by the chains of sedition, iniquity, gilt and subjection the other Master who gently leads us after paying our incomprehendable pride to His great pasture of love and care. Who will you be a slave too (Deut. 15:12-17; Matt. 25:21; Rom. 3:2; 1 Cor. 7:22; Eph 6: 5-9; Col. 1:7; 2 Tim. 2:24)? 

What does this mean?  

For us, it is our confession that I belong to Christ, He is my Lord. This is an act of total, surrendered devotion to the Lordship of Christ, we act as He is as LORD, Redeemer Savior, not just a casual friend we can occasionally call dada. To grow in our Christian formation; our will has been sacrificed to God’s will and thus we are totally at the disposal of our Lord. Our daily life, our ministry, our plans and purpose, our thinking and actions must filter through the sieve of Who He is and who we are in Christ. So the crap of our lives, thinking and misguided tends is removed and the purity of His percepts are mixed in us. So we come to a point that we are surrendered and totally devoted to Christ. And if this is a problem, and I am sure it is, it has been with me, this is not easy, do not give up, but give in to Him. It takes time. We must be in prayer, be immersed in His Word and be discipled to it can hit home in our ways and thinking (Jer. 7:25; Dan. 9:6; Amos 7:5; Acts 6:1-6; Rom. 1:1; 9:3; 12:7; 1 Cor. 15:3-8; Gal. 1:15; 2:20; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 2:8-3:13; 4:6)! 

Benediction… I am solely and soul; totally belong to Christ as His pupil and His property! Jesus Christ is LORD, He is my LORD and my Master, my Savior, my KING and there is no better place for me to be! So, let us go forth and joyfully be His doulos! 

© 1991 Rev. R.J. Krejcir

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Meet God in His Word

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Biblical Guy

The bottom line of why we are to study the Bible is so we may know God, His Way, and grow in our knowledge and faith in Him so we can then be better used by Him. We are called to spiritual growth—that is, the formation of the investment of faith Christ gives us that we give back to Him in dividends. This is a deep conviction of our faith, a practiced submission that shows our obedience, and a life of personal and relational maturity. We can’t do this when we bring what we want into Scripture and not take out what God wants us to have! We have to listen to God; if not, we will not learn and then we will not grow and then we will not have a life of transformation. Instead, we will experience a storm-tossed sea of life, wayward in every perspective because our eyes and ears are not upon our Lord (James 1; Heb. 6:13-20). 

We, humanity are the market for His Message and plan. He adopted us as His heirs, to receive His work and grace and blessings (Psalm 110:1; Matt. 14:33; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; John 1:1-3; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:6-7; Eph. 1:21; Phil. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:20). He is the Eternal Creator; the glorious Lord of genuine Holiness. Since Jesus is our Rescuer and Redeemer, He took on our human nature but without our sinfulness, and remained pure to pay our dept for our sins. In the process, His human nature voluntarily became lower than the angels; but as Fully God, He is superior to them in essence, power, purpose, and distinction. The question is are we hearing this? If so, are we being transformed by this? If so, are we applying it in our lives so it also echoes to others around us (Rom. 1:4; Heb. 2: 7, 14-15)? 

God desires us to be transformed agents of His Work, which means we must be in a transformative engagement with His Word! This is the essence of being a growing Christian and a vibrant church! 

The main issue of Bible illiteracy is not that we should gain trivial knowledge so we can pass a pop test or impress our peers; rather, it is that we make the time and effort to get into His Word. We must not be content engaging the Bible in a cognitive format, just thinking and gleaning information, for this just creates another problem—fat, lazy sheep who know what to do but do not do it. Although thinking on the Bible is very important, the real value is measured in our transformation and renewal. This is the crux of our ministry—teaching people to get to know the Bible, to be transformed, and to be positively eventful in Christ. What is the point of desiring to be a musician if you never intend to learn music and/or practice your instrument? What is the point of doing church if we do not equip the people to learn what we are about and what we are to do from the Bible? What is the point of being a Christian if we never read the directions to know what we should be doing? What point is there to the Christian life without the life-changing transformational life we can have through His Word, Work, and Holy Spirit? The answer is simple: get into the Word! We have the tools to help you do this, such as Bible reading charts, plans, and insights for those just starting out to prepare sermons. You can indeed do it and remove Bible illiteracy from your life and church! 

This means God has an important message for us and we must heed it. We can be changed, He does speak to us today; He wants to hear from you; He loves you and cares for you. So, why not clue yourself in to His plan and precepts by just spending some time in the Bible each day? Can there really be something better to do to grow your life and solve your problems? You are not going to find it in a cheap book or on TV; the best stuff comes from Him who has His directions readable and open to us now! What the Prophets of old could only imagine, dream, and hope for, we have now  so we can comprehend and apply His message to our lives and pulpits (Num. 12:6-8; Heb. 3:5)! 

Are we Reading in our Feelings and Desires? 

In Matthew 21:18-32, Jesus gave a seemingly weird illustration and example to get our attention and get us out of our complacency and pride when He cursed a fig tree. Why did He do that? This has always perplexed me and as a youth pastor, I sometimes used it as a joke to make a point. But, in the ten years it took me to research and write an inductive commentary on Matthew, I delved into this fig tree and the answer was easy to find and quite simple and inspirational. This time of year, figs would be just forming leaves and have small, green, uneatable fruit. Apparently, this tree had nothing but leaves, displaying only self-interest. The readiness of the fruit was not the issue; it was the willingness to make the fruit, which is a very profound mirror to us and our churches. A tree that has leaves at that time of year should also have fruit, even though it would not be ready to eat. It was cursed because it refused to produce. This tree promised, but did not deliver; it was just a display having no real intention, impact, or worth. 

In this passage, the emphasis is for us not to doubt or to hold back, lest we lose out on what is best for us and those around us! This is exactly what Jesus wants us to get for our lives; we must be fruitful; and we do this by immersing ourselves in His Word. Then, with what He gives, be transformed, and made relevant. We are to build our faith and fruit, which is what we are given when we grow in Him, what we add to, and what He then multiplies. Then, we will have more of the awareness of God and His will, which has more to do with our character and faith then what we do for a living! As Christians, we operate from heaven as God’s ambassadors (Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Cor. 13; 2 Cor. 5:20). 

          Consider this: making leaves is essential for a tree, especially an evergreen; but, unless it also produces fruit, a fruit tree is useless. We are meant to be fruit trees for our Lord! The fig tree only cared about itself, whereas the other fig trees produced fruit before their leaves. We need to take a deep look into our lives and see ourselves as God sees us. Perhaps you can consider yourself as a tree; are your roots strong and healthy? That is, are you being fed, then carrying His nutrients to all the parts of your being? Is your trunk strong? That is, how is your relationship with Christ? Are your branches supporting the nests of birds? That is, are you nurturing and exhibiting good character, being useful to others? Are your leaves healthy and strong? That is, how is your personality and disposition? Do you attract people or are you revolting to them? And, are you producing fruit or just leaves? If you are not in the Word, none of this will work (Matt. 7:15-20; 1 Pet. 4: 1-11; 2 Pet. 1:1-11)! 

Leaves are essential, but the leaves are only good for that plant, not for others. Fruit is to be harvested and shared. Is your faith real so it makes a difference to you and others around you? We must make sure that our lives are not just about the care of ourselves, but the care of others as well. If you think this is too hard, consider and take comfort in the fact that He will not give us anything we cannot handle! So, let us live with excellence, being our best for His glory! We can be a good tree or a bad one. Your church can produce fruit to nourish and impact others, or give out rotten fruit that will discourage and repulse all those in your neighborhood. Faith is the key to allow your determination and His call to move you. Be willing to be led by the truth of His Word, and by your faith and trust in Him (Phil 2:10-13; 4:8-9; Heb. 2:10; 11:1). 

Are you having Troubles in Life?  

Then it is probably due to the way you go with the Scripture and practice your faith. Run with your faith; put into practice His call and precepts and listen to God’s Word. See what He is actually saying, not what you want Him to say! Try to live at peace with everyone; live a clean and holy life and you will have His serenity. If we do not lead holy lives, how can we be in Christ? Also, look after one another so we can collectively grow in Christ and not miss out on what Christ has for us. However, we must watch out for bitterness that rises from unfulfilled expectations when our focus is not on Christ. Just as Esau traded his birthright to satisfy a temporary hunger with soup, being foolish caused him to lose his blessing, and resulted in a life of bitterness. So come to God, to Jesus Christ who, as Savior and Lord, gives us a new Covenant! Obey Him, live for Him, serve Him, and be grateful. Do not ignore Him or misuse His Word; rather, embrace Him and His Word, the Bible head on, fast and hard. We have a God who is Most Holy and He will not be thwarted or misrepresented or disrespected. Therefore, let us put our faith and hope in Him. Remember your experience in His love and grace and feel His fellowship and empowerment as we are His people and He is our loving Lord. As Christians, let us all be appreciative for who we are in Christ and what He has done for us, so we can worship Him and live contented lives (Hebrews 12:14-29)! 

If you are too busy or too preoccupied with life and the struggles thereof, how can you solve them with just adding more stress to them? If your faith is in Christ, then you must rest in Him, pore over His Word, glean the biblical knowledge and apply it to your life for success in life and in faith. If not, you will fail at everything! Keep in mind this very important point: when we engage the text of the Bible, we engage God! We experience His essence; we are enfolded not just within His precepts but also within His presence! We are with the living, eternal God of the universe. Thus, when we open up the Bible, we are opening up to Christ. If we really read the Bible, pay attention to not just the words but the essence, we receive not just our direction; we become transformational in our lives and work! 

God desires us to be a transformed agent of His and this takes our being in transformative engagement with His Word, examining and paying attention to the Bible, so we can better trust and obey Him. He gives a warning about bad attitudes and shortsightedness. Bad attitudes cause us to reject God’s Truth and we lose out because we forfeit our growing faith and righteousness. For example, when someone does something bad to you, your first human response is payback and revenge. But, God has a better idea—that of you as a peace maker. The author’s point is: do not be like your bad ancestors who were bad influencers. Rather, be positive examples to encourage others. Pious Jews were embarrassed by Esau and their ancestors who wandered in the desert. We should be embarrassed by our lack of faith; we should be concerned that we might be worse than Esau and the generation of the Exodus (Heb. 12:14-29). 

The qualities of our faith and Christian life are exhibited in the quality of our preparations and in discipline! Our receiving of His discipline from His Word, the Bible, and Holy Spirit is the entrance point to our spiritual formation which leads to our Christian maturity and a healthy church. Thus, when you are in a crisis or a troubling time, do not just ask for relief and divergence. Also seek Him by asking what do I learn and take away to build me up further in faith and maturity? God wants us to be squeezed so we produce wine and not whine. If we do not lean on Him, we will not learn and thus will not pass on our experiences to help others. Our trial will be a foolish waste of real suffering. But, if we learn and grow through that trial, it becomes the great classroom of life and educates us better than any university degree. Taking on His strength—not our conditions or unfulfilled desires—is what helps produce our joy (Neh. 8:10; Isa. 40:29; Matt. 11:30). 

God does not force Himself or His Word upon us. His grace is offered; we have to accept it by faith alone which requires His precepts, a willingness to listen to His Word,  to not read into it for the ability to practice real, authentic faith, to be willing to trust Him regardless of our circumstances, and our surrendered obedience. By these principles, we can seize the knowledge that Christ will prevail greatly; with a moment in His word, we can attain the vastness of His glory. Our abilities and qualifications fall short and it would be impossible for us to do anything grand; but in Him we can!

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Understanding and Developing Christian Accountability

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Biblical Guy

Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6; 27:17; 2 Corinthians 12:19-13:6; Galatians 6: 1-10; Ephesians 5:21; Colossians 3:9-10; James 5:16   

             And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

A popular American TV show from the 1960’s was Dobie Gillis. In this hit show, there was a character played by Bob Denver called Maynard G. Krebs, better known for later playing Gilligan on Gilligan’s Island. Maynard was a “beatnik,” a precursor to a “hippie” and a pioneer stereotype of the atypical “teenage slacker.” He was the person who refused to work, was very lazy, and all of his energies were spent on conniving to get what he wanted without earning it. His catchphrase was “wooooork?!?” when confronted that he needed to work for something in order to receive something. He was very funny and was just listed in the top 100 memorable entertainers of the twentieth century. The TV episodes can still be seen today (I know this stuff because my church is near Hollywood and many people in that industry go there). Maynard represents a lot of Christian mindsets today—not the fear of work, but, rather “acccountabilityyy?!?” We fear and hide from it as if it were an assault upon our lifestyle, fears, and plans. We do not want to hear about it nor be tied to it. Yet, it is essential in order for us to grow and produce godly character and fruit. 

What is accountability? It is a check and balance system to protect us from harm from ourselves and others. We do this by being open to what we are thinking and doing so we can receive encouragement and reproof, when needed. Christian accountability is accounting for what we are up to. It is the realization that we are liable, responsible, and answerable for our actions in life to God (Matt. 12:36; Rom. 2:16; 14:2; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10), as well as to key Christians in our life (John 13:34 Gal. 6:1-2; Philip. 2:4; Heb. 10:23-24; James 5:16). Thus, we need to hold to our beliefs and keep in line with what we believe so it does not distract us from God’s path for us or discourage others from their path. 

Accountability allows us to be answerable to one another, focusing on key relationships such as with our spouse, close friends, colleagues, coworkers, a boss, small group members, and pastor. It is sharing, in confidence, our heartfelt Christian sojourn in an atmosphere of trust. Then, we can give an answer for what we do and understand where we need help in areas where we are weak  and struggling, where and how we are growing, what we are learning, and to be encouraged. These precepts help us to stay on track, and get prayer, care, and support when we fail. We can also model guideposts for one another in order to keep going. 

Accountability enables us to share our lives with one another in a deep, introspective way. This helps us to get to know ourselves and others in a deeper manner. Even though most of our relationships in life tend to be casual and superficial, we need deep connections; that is what God has made us for (Eccl. 4:10-12; Rom. 12:5; 14: 13-23; Eph. 5:21; Col. 3:9-10; 1 Peter 3:15). In this, we can have a place to open up, share, and be challenged beyond sports, weather, fashion, or makeup. The goal is our spiritual formation which is Christian maturity, growth, and character derived from God working in us and our working out our faith with one another. 

Some Christians have seen accountability groups alone as a place to vent all of their frustrations in life. Yes, we need a place to vent, but if all we do is vent, we accomplish nothing. Real growth cannot take place, as the venting will be all consuming and will leave no time for instruction or feedback. The group will merely become a place to gossip. Accountability is also not a place to find our inner child or inner warrior, or warrior princess. Accountability is not about just complaining about how life has dumped on us or a place to put others down; rather, it is a “compact” (a deeper agreement beyond a contract) and system on how to become more Christ-like (Psalm 133:1). A good accountability group will have questions, Bible study, prayer, listening, and support at its core. 

Accountability is not about confrontation. We may, at times, need to be confronted and to confront another, but accountability is more about challenging one another to grow in Christ, so there is no need to rebuke people. Accountability helps instill the warning precepts that God has given us, but it also has the necessary support, counsel, encouragement, and affirmation we all need. Accountability enables us to be  …in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Rom. 12:5). This enables our connectedness to lay aside the island mentality. We do not stand independent of one another. Because such interdependency exists within the Body of Christ, we are responsible to one another to do our part and to help others do theirs. 

As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” . . . If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (1 Cor. 12:20-21, 26). 

Why Do We Need Accountability?  

We are accountable to God and to one another (2 Chron. 19:6-7; Ezek. 34:2-4; Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Pet. 2:10-11). We are all fallen creatures; as Christians, we are still fallen, but are saved by His grace. We are declared clean before God by our Lord’s work; however, we are still full of sin. We all have items and thoughts in our lives that diminish our relationship with God and our effectiveness with others. There is still a process on which to embark to become cleaner (which I believe we never totally become); this is called sanctification. As Christians, we are in the process and practice of our faith, growth, learning, and maturity all the days of our lives. At the same time, we are still sinners and susceptible to temptation, spiritual warfare, and our misplaced desires. We have blind spots and need input from others to find them. If you really want to grow in faith and be effective in ministry, you must be held accountable; otherwise, you will fall, backslide, or be ineffective because of imbued pride. Sin will get you; maybe not today, but tomorrow is still coming. Accountability is essential for every Christian to help reach his or her full potential; it is a mandate to those in leadership and ministry! 

Having other people around whom you can trust and get to know more deeply will enable you to know yourself—your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities—more deeply. You will be able to see in the mirror to your inner being and desires and see if they line up to what God has for you. You will become more aware of issues, relationships, and life as life’s purpose and God’s call are unfolded before you. Because you see life and God’s Word more deeply, your behaviors and response to others will also change for the better (Eccl. 4:8-12; Rom. 15:7; Eph. 4:9-13; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24; James 5:16). 

The pages of the Bible are filled with stories of people leaning on others for growth and personal and spiritual development. Deep connections help great leaders overcome their struggles and see what they cannot see on their own. Most prominently in the Old Testament are Moses and Aaron (Exodus), and David and Jonathan (1 Sam. 18-20). In the New Testament are Paul and Barnabas, and then Paul with Titus, Silas, and Timothy (Acts 11-14; 2 Cor. 2:12). And, of course, our Lord Jesus, while He walked this earth, had His twelve with an extra connection to the inner three, Peter, James, and John. 

Thus, we can surmise that accountability is not for just for those who are weak, needy, or for wimps; it is for the strong who want to be stronger and the unconnected who need to be connected. If you think, as a man, this is still just for the weak, consider that greatness and authenticity cannot come about without humility and connection (James 4:7-12; 1 Pet. 5: 1-11)! “Real men” will be accountable to other real men, and real godly women will be connected to other godly women (Prov. 31). There is no way around this vital call! God gives us the call to be deeply connected to one another because we need it. The leaders in the Bible knew this well, Jesus modeled this for us, and the only hindrance is our willingness to comply. Leaders and pastors who are not accountable will eventually fall, and, until then, be very ineffective! God has called you to be the iron that sharpens others’ iron, as their iron will sharpen you (Prov. 27:17)! 

Accountability is nothing new, although it seems it is by the topics of sermons and books or from some popular movements within the last ten years; however, it was practiced by pious Jewish teachers before Christ. Accountability was insisted on and practiced by Christ, Himself. Just observe how Jesus led the Disciples and how He modeled to the Disciples. This was picked up by the early church; the Reformers all had men in their lives who held them to account, in whom they trusted, took advice from, bounced ideas off of, and who prayed for them. 

Calvin was especially a proponent of accountability and insisted all of His leaders be held in account, “believers (who) seriously testify, by honoring mutual righteousness among themselves, that they honor God.” It was the system he established that became the model of the “check and balance” system of modern governments, first established in the U.S. in our Constitution. The Methodist movement, founded by John Wesley, was started as an accountability and prayer group. Every effective minister, leader, and growing Christian I have ever met was in some form of an accountability group, including Billy Graham and my mentor, Francis A. Schaeffer. In fact, I have never met an effective Christian, pastor, or leader who was not in an accountability group. For every bad and ineffective leader I have ever met, none of them believed in or practiced accountability! This should communicate to us loudly. 

Thus, the bottom line of why we need accountability is, we will be tempted; and, unless we have a system to protect ourselves, we will fall to that temptation (Prov. 6:27; 1 Cor. 6:18, 10:14; 1 Tim. 6:9-11; 2 Tim. 2:22)! The world is rich in temptations and we can not fight against them effectively unless we allow the One who overcame the world to infuse us (John 5:4), and not love the world (1 John 2:15). It comes down to having trusting faith in Christ, and allowing His work in others to help keep us connected to Him. His empowerment will be synergized when we are connected with others whom we trust and who can warn us of coming dangers in our pursuits and thinking, encourage us when we are down, and who will hold us accountable. The love of God is often best reflected in the love and care of others. Allow that care to shield you from the wrong pursuits in life. 

Many Christians think, all I have to do is leave Satan alone and he will leave me alone so I do not need accountability. The response to that is no, he will go after you even more! We will be tempted by Satan and by his influences that seem enticing but will only hurt us. Satan seeks, not to give us what we want, but to steal from us all that which God has given. Thus, if we submit to God, then the devil flees; if we run to Satan and his ways, God is far off from us. We can try with all of our might and effort to have accountability, but unless others are there for us, and unless we are headed toward God, it just will not work! The only thing that can thwart Satan is God. So, be in Him and not in the world (Eph. 6:10; James 4:7-10; Rev. 12:11). 

James is saying to first turn to God and surrender to His ways. If not, the ways of Satan and the world will gladly take up that role. We need others in our lives to point out to us the pitfalls before us, as we may not see them ourselves, blinded by desires and wanderlust. We cannot do this solely by our own efforts and strength; we need others, too. Others will see what we refuse to see, or what is blocked by our desires. It is about the insight of others and the power of the Spirit working in us all. It is not the strength of others; rather it is their eyes, words, and assistance, and our allowing God to be our strength. To remove Satan from our lives, we have to fell him—not just ignore him, but run away from him and to God, and allow others to help us in our scurry. 

Objections to Accountability 

Accountability may seem to go against our self-sufficient, individualistic mindsets and fear of conviction. Most cultures and individuals like to be “my own person,” and thus do “my own thing.” Most people do not like being told what to do or how to do it. But, we need godly people in our lives to do just that—with love and care. Thus, we have to learn to overcome our barriers of conviction so we can grow more in Christ and with one another. 

Many Christians see accountability as meaningless because conviction is the role of the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Acts 1:8; 4:31; 10:45; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 3:16-17; Heb. 13:5-6). Yes, they are correct about the conviction part, and wrong to say that it does not matter. Why? Galatians tells us to carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). The meaning refers to moral issues and guarding weakness (Rom. 15:1-3; 1 Cor. 9:21).Take heed, we are also responsible and answerable for our actions in life to God and to other key Christians. Thus, we need to be held to our beliefs and kept in line about what we believe so it does not distract us from God’s path for us or discourage others from their own path. 

The other typical objection believers give is that we are not under any kind of law, and now we have liberty and Grace, so it does not matter. A prominent Christian leader a few years back asked me, after I had done a workshop on accountability, Why is this important? Can’t I just live my Christian life as I please? After all, I have liberty in Christ! I answered him to the best of my ability, but he just would not get it; shortly thereafter, he fell and fell hard. It turned out he did not like accountability because he has been having a long-term affair. He did not want to be convicted! Our liberation is not to protect us from conviction; it is to enjoy our Lord so we can pursue His precepts as we realize our indebtedness to Him. 

Liberation simply means Christ has set us free (John 8:32-36; Rom. 6:3-23; Gal. 5:1). Paul was overcome by his liberation in and by Christ (Mark 7:18-19). He stressed that we must behave and be responsible in the correct manner. We many enjoy our freedom, but freedom does not entitle one to do anything one wants, just as living in a “free” county like the U.S. does not, as we cannot steal or murder or not pay taxes. What about free will? Yes, we have “free will;” Calvin spent most of his writings discussing this fact. He taught that we have responsibility, and duty to faith and prayer, three areas that require free will. We are still to allow His work to continue in us; the Holy Spirit will lift our sin and our will out of the way. If you truly give up your will to God, will you be liberated or would you be obligated as a servant/slave with no real life as you would see it? The fact is that you are free in Christ! The question is how will you live your life of freedom?  

The liberty of the Christian life is by surrender. It gives us: 

  1. Freedom from law. (Rom. 3:19; 6:14; -15; Gal. 2:20-21; 3:23-25)
  2. Forgiveness, acceptance, and access to His presence. (Rom. 5:1-2)
  3. Freedom from having to base our acceptance on our performance. (Rom. 7: 7-11; 10:3)
  4. Freedom from sin, and declared cleaned! (John 8:34-36; Rom 3:19; 6: 3-23;  1 Cor.15: 16; Gal. 3:10-20; 4:21-31)
  5. Freedom from our own faulty thinking and superstitions. (1 Cor. 6:12-13; 8:7-13; 1 Tim. 4:1-5) 

            Because of these five reasons, we respond with obedience—not out of obligation (as a slave does), but out of gratitude and love. This new obedience is because of a changed heart and will. We are enabled to respond and continue in our new life by the Holy Spirit. Accountability helps us in our freedom in Christ, because we give up on our self will and focus on His. Like driving a car in a strange unfamiliar area and making Christ a passenger, we, as human beings, spend most of the time arguing, complaining, and debating the destination. Yet, we do not have a clue to where we are going. If we would allow Christ to get into the driver’s seat, He would be able to take us where we could never have gone before. In addition, if we sign over the “pink slip” to our Lord Jesus Christ, then He will take us to places that, even in our wildest imaginations, we could never fathom. Then, perhaps the love we are to receive and exhibit will flow ever so much more freely! The bottom line is: accountability is letting Christ drive! Accountability becomes the map to keep us moving on His road to His destination; if we throw away the map, then we go in the wrong direction; we will never get to the destination, and perhaps, even crash. It begins when we stop to ask for directions, His Directions! 

            We are not to allow our liberation and freedom in Grace to cause people to stumble by our actions or inactions. Our faith and actions are monitored closely by God as well as by other people, and we must realize that our actions are more influential than our words. We will either lift people up or bring them down! Hypocrisy is perhaps the most deadly threat to new or weak Christians who fall victim to it, and is a heinous sin against Christ and His children by those who cause it! We, as a body of Christ, must seek to show right actions to one another, to be cautious, and to act with charity, humility, and self-denial within our Christian liberty. We are still called to be responsible in the correct manner. We may enjoy our freedom, but freedom does not entitle us to do anything we want.  A true Christian will never destroy another person’s faith so he can have his own way! Our freedom must not bring dishonor, division, or disrepute to the church. 

            The first two objections are from theological standpoints, but what most of us struggle with is emotional—our fears and cultural hesitations. Connecting with others and exposing our feelings may be much easier for most women; but, for men, this is sometimes a seemingly impenetrable barrier. It can be a scary business to share your feelings and be open and introspective, as people may betray us, belittle us, or ignore or step on our heart. And to tell you the truth, yes, that can happen. It has happed to me several times, as close accountability partners have betrayed confidences and spread rumors. However, the benefits have far outweighed the few times I have been wronged. 

            Women tend to be better at opening up than men, especially generations born before 1965. We were brought up to think that a man is to show no emotion or share feelings—the John Wayne type. This makes a good movie character but is not good biblical character. So, we become fearful of sharing our lives with our spouse, coworkers, or even a trusted friend. These fears debilitate relational connections and the support we need in life and in ministry as well as hamper trust (Rom. 8:15). Another factor that ties in with this is shame. We feel embarrassed or that we are the only one going though this. We may feel they will reject me when they get to know me. Or, we feel no one will understand or they will think less of me. The fact is, as growing Christians in Christ, when we get to know one another, we get to know ourselves as well; love supercedes judgment and care overpowers fear. This leads to forgiveness and openness. If we let our shame and fear rule our emotions and ability to be held accountable, we will not be able to share or receive godly instruction. Thus, sin will rain upon us. When we start to realize that the love and care we send and receive is far better than the isolation we build, it will allow us to grow more in maturity and faith because we will be open and honest. As a result, all of our relationships and our ministry will vastly improve. 

            We need to realize we are already accepted by Christ. He no longer condemns us, as, there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus… nothing can separate me from the love of God (Rom. 8). Thus, to be in a Christian accountability group, you are in a group with sinners who all have been wounded, all who fear, all who are saved by grace, and who all are together exercising the faith. We are all in the same boat here. We learn of one another’s battles which helps us with ours, and ours helps with theirs. Insights are gained and shared, and the transformation from fear to maturity commences. Together, we are not to be ashamed of who we are in Christ, living out our faith with passion and conviction. The real shame is a Christian who does not seek help from God and others. Being accountable will promote healing and growth in all aspects of your life! 

            Remember, people will hurt you, because people who hurt are usually hurting themselves and they do not know how to relate (which an accountability group can help with). What can we do to overcome this obstacle? Be vulnerable, yet discerning. Only allow people whom you already know and trust to be a part of your support group, and advance slowly. Start off with a few of the simple questions and prayer; as you get to know one another, you will build the trust. (I did not do this with the people who betrayed me!) When we feel safe, we are more apt to share; this goes for both men and women. When we feel safe, we better receive essential positive feedback, listen to constructive criticism, and have a longer and deeper prayer time.  

            The key to effective accountability is to allow our pride to yield to the necessity of being accountable to one another. Our justification in Christ is no escape from bad things happening, because the world is still full of sin. It is a starting point to build and develop character, patience, and dependence on God’s grace, as Abraham did by faith; we are accountable for our choices. God approves when we are walking in Him! God does not approve when we are walking by ourselves, comfortable in our own petty presumptions, and ignoring His love and truth! 

Accountability Can Help Prevent Burnout 

            Burnout occurs when our spiritual energies are totally exhausted, and we have no will or vitality to make relationships, or whatever our task is, work. We are completely worn-out and spent. Thus, if we stay in our position without being refueled, we will just be throwing a monkey wrench into vital components, causing them to break. If you are a leader, your burnout is especially devastating to others because you will be the monkey wrench that sabotages the machine of ministry. We may not desire or be willing to do so, but because of our lack of availability due to the fact that there is nothing left of us, we are of no service, and are, in fact, endangering the vitality and ministry of others. 

            The stresses of life and the hassles of family will get us down and test our limits; even the best-run family will have this problem from time to time. So, how can we tell if we’re just tired or are experiencing burnout? First, we need to ask ourselves the accountability questions. If we are operating in His precepts, it is probably just exhaustion. However, if we find ourselves being apathetic and detached from our families, we have a problem. We have to be on guard against the most destructive force, pride! Pride and arrogance will produce a superiority complex. Then, we become careless towards others and lose our perspective of what God has called us to do. We can hurt our family, our friends, and if we are married, cause intense harm to our spouse. Either the pride, the refusal to set boundaries, the refusal to be accountable, or a combination of the three will cause us to fall into burnout and lead us into sin. We have to be willing to determine if we need an overhaul or just a good night’s sleep. A mentor or accountability partner will help us see the warning signs.   

Accountability Can Help Prevent Stress  

            You can expect that people at home, church, and work, in addition to your loved ones, friends, pets, and acquaintances will ask you for favors as in your time, resources, talents, or attention. This is good and you should do what you can, but there will be times when they will deplete you, causing you stress. You cannot be everywhere nor do everything! So, you have to learn how to build a fence that says I love you, but can you leave me alone for now! The most important aspect in preventing stress is saying NO in a firm yet kind way with an explanation of why. That way, you can be better prepared. People deserve a reason; don’t just say no! Be honest, even if you just need time alone. Do not feel guilty; you have to take care of yourself first before you can care for others! 

            Be aware of stress with family outings and projects, especially during holidays. They are stressful for many people, so take a look at why it is that way with you. Why does something cause you stress? Is it your time? Is it fear? Remember, you are not indispensable; if you were, you would need help from a good counselor or pastor! To help prevent many of the stresses of life, learn to plan ahead! For big events, make sure you plan them out ahead of time and delegate! Do not try to do too many things or take on too many projects, especially if they are new to you. If you are a procrastinator (like I am), then force yourself to do it early. Once you figure out that life is easier and less stressful when you do things early, you will make it a habit of it. Do not allow people to force things on you just because you have done them before. They need to respect you and your time. Assertiveness is biblical when it is operated within the parameters of biblical character and the fruit of the Spirit! 

            Accountability helps make us aware of intrusions and stress, but it may take others to see and to tell us to take breaks away from people so we can have more time with family and God. Accountably will help refocus our spiritual awareness and even help our physical energy. Prayer is our big ally to help set boundaries and prevent stress amongst the spiritual and maturity implications! Do not feel guilty! Also, accountability helps us be aware of anxiety, phobias, and mental disorders that contribute to stress; those can keep us from our relationships and functions with family and church. If accountability is not enough, that is OK. Just make sure you seek help from a good counselor or trained pastor! 

Becoming Accountable  

Accountability is often associated with a place to be helped with some kind of problem or addiction such as drinking, drugs, smoking, pornography, or some other recovery issue. Yes, this is can be a principle venue; however, the emphasis should be our spiritual growth which infuses our thinking and behaviors and helps in overcoming addictions. It is not about just overcoming addictions; it is being overcome with Christ as Lord of our lives. We can always wrestle with our temptations through our own efforts, but we might as well be Jacob wrestling with God (Gen. 32). We will succeed as long as God allows and as long as Satan allows. Thus, we must flee from him to be in Him (James 4:7-10)! 

Effective accountability has the emphasis on building quality and deep relationships that will help us with the following (1 Thess. 5:14 Col. 3:16 Heb. 3:13 Prov. 25:12; 27:17):   

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 

  • Adhering ourselves to God’s Word and call!
  • Learning to commune with God more deeply so we can respond to His precepts more rapidly and thoroughly.
  • Prayer that is not just about our personal needs but also with the needs of others!
  • Reigniting our passion for Christ!
  • Becoming teachable, and our thinking and behaviors examined!
  • Being willing to recognize sin both in our lives and in the lives of others, too!
  • Being willing to learn about ourselves!
  • Being willing to have healing in our lives!
  • Being willing to see the needs of others!
  • Being willing to overcome, and to be on guard concerning weaknesses and strengths.
  • Being able to trust, share, and commune with another person in depth.
  • Being willing to overcome issues that are bad for us.
  • Knowing that we need others to keep us on track!
  • A willingness to be challenged, convicted, molded, and sharpened so we can change and grow.
  • Help to develop better and deeper fellowship and unity with others!
  • A platform to be transformed and renewed in Christ!
  • Becoming more sensitive and discerning!
  • Learning to develop the fruit of the Spirit and exercise it.
  • Being willing to confess and hear others in love and confidentiality—without judgment.
  • Being encouraged and encouraging others!
  • Developing godly, Christ-like character!
  • Learning to take risks, be vulnerable, and overcome rejection and betrayal.
  • Learning that God has called us to be involved in the lives of others and that we are not to be lone ranger Christians!
  • Learning that we are to be patient, because accountability is built over time! 
  • Learning that deep connections do not just happen between services of the church; we have to work at them in community.
  • Learning that we are at our best when we are being real and authentic.
  • Learning about Christ’s redemption and our ability to change.
  • Learning we can be used by God to be change agents in the lives of others.
  • Learning that relationships require effort and commitment.
  • Developing harmony with others so we can communicate, and being transparent without being defensive.
  • Developing maturity and spiritual growth!
  • Leaning to be humble and wise!
  • Allowing the work of the Holy Spirit within us and being used by Him in the lives of others as well!
  • The ability to bust the noise of our will and desires, as we need a godly perspective we can hear over that noise!
  • A reminder that God is in control, even in times of dire stress and confusion!
  • Trusting in God and keeping His standards because they are best for us; there is no better way than His Way!
  • Understanding that accountability takes place in the crucible (a refractory made of porcelain, used for melting and purifying materials such as gold at high temperatures, that also refers to the confluence of powerful influences such as intellectual, social, economic, or political) of community with other growing Christians!
  • Knowing we need accountability for our support, faith development, and growth!
  • Knowing that accountability takes our initiative, commitment, and continuance in it!
  • We have no need to hide our sins from those who are entrusted to help us deal with them. 

Leading a lawless, indifferent, irreverent life while having a faith that is just fire insurance from Hell may save you—may; however, you will reap dire consequences for this mindset (Deut. 18:15; Matt. 22:13-14; 23;1 Cor. 10:11-13; 2 Cor. 5:11)! 

God designed the church as the body of Christ. Thus, we are called to utility and cooperation so we can be there for one another in times of fun as well as stress. We are called to encourage and equip as well as hold each other responsible to the commitment we have made in Christ as Lord.  

But exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13 

What to Look For In an Accountability Partner or Group  

To get involved in an accountability group, first look for an existing one you can join such as a small group through your church or a neighboring church if your church does not have one. Make sure it is gender specific—men to men and women to women. Most of these groups are found under men’s or women’s ministries. If none are available or you are not led to one, hook up with another two or three people and start your own. You can find people through a church leader or pastor. In this process, make sure you are in prayer, asking God to lead you in the right direction! The substance of why and what you are doing is more important than the form of how you do it. See our small group channel for ideas, as an accountability group is just a small group with more emphasis on accountability. The key to making this work is for you and the other participants to be open, submissive, listening, and authentic so you can confess your sins in a safe, confidential environment. 

What a Good Accountability Program/Person Will Have:  

  • Look for confidentiality as paramount.
  • Look for people whom you already know or have a connection with such as a common interest or season in life.
  • Look for people whom you respect, trust, are mature in their faith and character, and from whom you can learn so you can develop closeness and share shortcomings!
  • Look for people who maintain a loving and respectful attitude!
  • Make sure you use God’s Word; it is your standard for faith and practice!
  • Make sure no one dominates unless it is a teacher teaching. Have equal airtime so all can be involved. Thus, the number of people to have depends on the length of time you meet. If you meet for an hour, have no more than four people. If you meet for two hours, have no more than seven. If you are in a larger group, have a teaching time, then break down into sub groups for accountability questions and prayer.
  • Be willing to be flexible and surrender your time when another person needs extra time and care.
  • Participants need to respect the feelings and time of others, and to speak the truth in love.
  • Communicate ground rules or a code of conduct, clearly emphasizing confidentiality and equal time.
  • Make sure prayer is the focus!
  • Seek guidance from others who can shepherd you, who have been there, done that—who have “weathered the storms” and are able to share it. Look for people you can shepherd and guide faithfully.
  • Seek those who can help you adhere to God’s standards rather than to the world’s standards.
  • Seek faithfulness and constancy!
  • Use humor, but not at the expense of others!
  • Be committed, and encourage others to be so, too!
  • Remember, the primary purpose is to get yourself aligned with God’s love, call, and precepts over all else.
  • The more mature people must disciple the immature—not the other way around.
  • Be aware of your pride, and never allow your maturity and growth to be a source of pride or use it to put others down!
  • What you do not want is people discipling you who are prideful, who only care about themselves, or who are irritable, presumptive, “too busy,” and neglectful of others! Make sure you are not this way to others!  

There is no best way or program to “do” accountability. It can be a “one-on-one” mentorship or a large group that is subdivided into smaller ones; it can meet for one hour or two, once a week or every other week. The important thing is to do it, remain committed, and to follow Christ and not yourself. If you do not “click” with the people in your group or feel you do not have a level of trust, that is OK; this may not be the group or person for you. Look for or start another one. 

How can we do this? By seeing others with the eyes of Christ—to see love, compassion, and forgiveness. Take the one another passages to heart, and when we do instruct, warn, or even chastise, do it in the parameters of the fruit of the Spirit, without judgment or commendation (as there is no such thing in Christ!). Then, we can be open and honest with one another. God gives us the faith, the strength, and the empowerment to do this, and when we are with others, it is synergized! It is not about our weakness, it is about His strength! When we rely on God and build one another up, we grow in faith and maturity and become more effective to one another. This is reciprocal, and will replicate and continue. 

So, what is the final obstacle remaining? The commitment to make it continual. Accountability is not just for a time, it is for all times, and requires our discipline and dedication to keep at it. If we stop, we soon go back to our fears and complacency. When this happens, sin that before was of no consequence has now grown big and is knocking on your door. Commitment is essential to making anything that is precious work, from a friendship to marriage to being a member of a church. We must be committed and continual. Commitment brings about hope and growth through sacrifice, as we pour ourselves into it while being fueled by our Lord. 

The structure is up to you and your group. How do you lead an effective accountability group? The same way you would a small group. Please see the resources we have developed for you: 

Accountability Questions 

Doing Life Together 

Take it slow and easy. Don’t try, or even expect, to immediately delve into the deepest, darkest corners of your life. Begin by having your close friends hold you accountable for things like praying regularly and integrity issues. As you see the results and benefits of this, you will also be building up trust, which is necessary for accountability in more personal and private areas. If you need further help in this area, seek a qualified and trusted pastor or Christian counselor. Also, seek someone to whom you can be accountable. Do not just trust yourself; have a small group or mentor ask you these questions on a regular basis!   

Remember that Christian maturity and character is “Christ-likeness,” becoming more like our Lord by living out His precepts. This is not a destination until we are called home to eternity; meanwhile we who are on this journey must make the most our opportunities. We can learn and grow deeper and closer or we can repel and become worldlier. This journey and the road you will take is your choice and in God’s providence (James 4:13-17)! So, go and be sharpened, and be a sharpener to others as well! In His Word and in prayer, watch your life grow and be transformed and triumphant! 

            Being a disciple of Christ and making disciples requires devotion, nurturing, commitment to the Word, and worship. Most mature Christians would agree on these basics, but other things required include discipline, the ability to be studious, and to be accountable. Our basis and starting point is God’s character. Peter tells us “we are to be holy because God is holy.” (1 Peter 1:16), and the way we can respond to this call is by being accountable in our personal lives as believers and as a church. So, we need to realize that one of our calls is to participate in conflict management so the wickedness of our nature does not get out of hand and so our relationships and opportunities do not fail. God’s Word gives us the guidelines and focus for proper confrontation and the management of problems so we can be more effective in His service. 

Do not allow accountability in your Christian life or in your church to become a forgotten call! 

© 1994, revised 2005 Into Thy Word www.intothyword.org

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